<\/div>\n

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here’s is the written story that appeared on their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13now.com\/news\/local-news\/beloved-childrens-book-comes-to-life-at-chocolate-factory-in-logan\">website<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size\"><strong>Beloved children’s book comes to life at chocolate factory in Logan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox13now.com\/melanie-porter\">Melanie Porter<\/a> , Brian Champagne<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Posted at 11:08 AM, Feb 06, 2023 and last updated 11:21 AM, Feb 06, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LOGAN, Utah \u2014 Milk chocolate, pretzels, Reese’s Pieces and potato chips might be the next candy sensation thanks to a special experience that brought Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory to life for one group of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 1964 children’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is one that many people grew up reading in school, dreaming about a magical world where chocolate literally grows on trees and flows in rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one group of sixth-grade students in Logan, those dreams came to life at the Aggie Chocolate Factory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We are the only bean-to-bar chocolate factory that is operated by an academic institution in the world,” explained Silvana Martini, a Professor of Food Science and also the Director of the Aggie Chocolate Factory at Utah State University. “People come from all over the place to see what it’s all about.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The factory in Logan got its start in 2018 and there’s one tradition inspired by the beloved children’s book that is observed every single year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“We are very excited to have the kids here,” Martini said. “We do this every February 1 at 10 a.m. because that’s exactly the same day and time that the kids visited the Willy Wonka Factory.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, a sixth-grade class read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and hosted a competition for the best candy-bar idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“The American Academy of Innovation focuses on project-based learning and experiential learning,” explained Mark Sanderson, who teaches the class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Student Sienna Anderson won with her “Sunset Sweet” bar, which combines milk chocolate and potato chips before a pretzel is added in the middle and Reese’s Pieces surround the edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“It makes it crunchy and sweet and salty at the same time,” Anderson explained. “I’d say it’s really good and crunchy”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may not be a combination that would be at the top of mind, but Anderson said it was quite tasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>“It was different than I thought but it was a good different,” she explained. “It goes well with the flavor of chocolate that they have.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone was a winner who participated in the annual tradition, as the squares of chocolate were hand-wrapped and gifted to students as a memento of their special day at Utah’s own chocolate factory.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional media coverage appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upr.org\/utah-news\/2023-02-07\/aggie-chocolate-factory-brings-beloved-childrens-book-to-life\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.upr.org\/utah-news\/2023-02-07\/aggie-chocolate-factory-brings-beloved-childrens-book-to-life\">Utah Public Radio<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is an <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.southjordanjournal.com\/2023\/09\/11\/465127\/sweet-success-for-one-sixth-grader\" target=\"_blank\">article<\/a> about the project that was published in the September issue of the <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.southjordanjournal.com\/2023\/09\/11\/465136\/in-this-issue-september-2023\" target=\"_blank\">South Jordan Journal<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-pale-pink-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sweet success for one sixth grader<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>Sep 11, 2023 12:38PM \u25cf By Julie Slama<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn1.locable.com\/uploads\/resource\/file\/1058026\/fit\/800x600\/AAI02.JPG?timestamp=1694458475\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Last spring, AAI student Sienna Anderson and her classmates made her original candy bar recipe at the Aggie Chocolate Factory. (Mark Sanderson\/AAI)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning might be a bit sweeter at American Academy of Innovation this year, thanks to a sixth-grade assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, sixth-grade language arts teacher Mark Sanderson turned the story of Roald Dahl\u2019s \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d into reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After reading and discussing the novel, 30 students visited Utah State University\u2019s chocolate factory before dreaming up their own chocolate bars, complete with the name, slogan and ingredients, and presented those to their class. Each class voted for their favorites and then the student body voted for the top one. Those finalists got the \u201cgolden ticket\u201d to step into USU\u2019s factory to actually create the winning chocolate bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is exposing kids to something that\u2019s fun, engaging and gets them to be creative outside the school,\u201d Sanderson said. \u201cIt also invites them to think about possible careers. Ultimately, it\u2019s helping them realize that as sixth graders, \u2018I can have an impact on the world. I don\u2019t have to wait until I\u2019m a college graduate.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s top chocolatier is Sienna Anderson. The school purchased 500 of her \u201cSunset Sweets\u201d for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy slogan was \u2018Sweet and Salty Nights\u2019 because it went with the name of my chocolate bar,\u201d she said. \u201cMy ingredients include Reese\u2019s Pieces, and those colors remind me of a sunset, that\u2019s why I named it that. I love sunsets and I used a bunch of my favorite snacks for the ingredients \u2014 potato chips and the pretzels that are salty and Reese\u2019s Pieces that are sweet. Lots of people didn\u2019t like the idea of potato chips and chocolate. They doubted it, but when they tried it, they thought it was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sienna liked the assignment from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018Charlie and the Chocolate Factory\u2019 is a really good book. I\u2019ve seen the movie, but this was the first time I read it,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen everyone went to the Aggie Chocolate Factory, we looked at what they were doing behind the glass. We got to learn how they make their chocolate and where they get their ingredients from. I learned a lot about what cacao beans are and how you get the flavor of chocolate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanderson said it was a good opportunity for all the students to learn more about the process and to sample the chocolate made there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey could tell the difference. Aggie chocolate is a little more earthy flavor and a creamier texture. USU is the only bean to bar chocolate factory on a college campus. Most of the major chocolate makers don\u2019t make their own chocolate. Here they make chocolates from beans from several areas so each chocolate tastes differently because they\u2019re using beans from different areas,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanderson also liked how they not only gained an understanding of chocolate, but the idea that they could study it in college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey learned if you like chocolate, you can do this in college. They got a bit of a career perspective with chocolate specifically, but learned they could study food sciences. The director of the factory uses chocolate to teach a chemistry course, so who wouldn\u2019t want to go to college?\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After they returned to AAI, Sanderson instructed them to create their own chocolate bar along with a label. They also made a PowerPoint slideshow to present to their class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI felt I had a pretty good idea,\u201d Sienna said. \u201cFor me, the hard part was the presentation because I get anxious and stressed when I\u2019m presenting in front of people. Once I got past that, it was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After class presentations, they voted for the three chocolate bars they liked best. The concepts with the most votes were entered into the finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe made posters for our chocolate bars and those were put in the cafeteria. Then the whole school voted; the poll didn\u2019t say the students\u2019 names, just the chocolate and ingredients,\u201d Sienna said. \u201cI was really excited because my friend, Jaelyn Jones, also was a finalist. We were supporting each other, and we said that even if one of us was a finalist and the other wasn\u2019t, we\u2019d still be really close friends. When the vote was in, they had us stand in front of our posters and announced it. I was nervous, but excited to see who\u2019d win. When my name was announced, I was in shock, frozen for a second. I realized that everybody was screaming and cheering for me. I had beat Jaelyn by five votes, so she was second overall. It was fun celebrating together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 10 a.m., Feb. 1 \u2013 the same time and day Charlie went to visit Willy Wonka\u2019s chocolate factory \u2014 Sienna, the other five finalists and families were invited to USU\u2019s chocolate factory. They learned more in-depth about USU\u2019s chocolate process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe put on hair nets and paper scrubs over our shoes and went behind the glass where we saw the roasting and de-shelling of the cacao beans. They already had my chocolate premade with the potato chips mixed in, so we got to do the next step of filling the mold with the chocolate and put it in this machine that vibrated the bubbles out. Then, we put the toppings on \u2014 a pretzel and a tiny scoop of Reese\u2019s Pieces \u2014 and set them in the fridge for 30 minutes. We wrapped them and that had to be done fast because they melt in your hand. Then, we put the label and the sticker on to take home,\u201d Sienna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt tasted how I imagined it would taste, both sweet and salty \u2014 and crunchy, which I love,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the second time Sanderson has given this assignment. Previously, he taught at Butler Middle School where the \u201cCampfire Crunch\u201d won.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBoth years, the winner is not the one that is the most outside the box, but oddly enough, the one that appeals to the most people,\u201d he said. \u201cBoth years, several bars could have won. There were a lot of good ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanderson said he can foresee expanding the assignment so students could learn how to make it an entrepreneurial business and could market their products. He also would like to have the project include other schools to increase the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sienna loved the assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI loved giving it to my family and my friends because they all were happy for me when they learned I had won,\u201d she said. \u201cI liked proving my idea was a good one when people doubted my ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The tradition continues! For the second year, my students teamed up with the Aggie Chocolate Factory at Utah State University to enhance our reading of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Students competed to see who could design the best new chocolate bar. The winner of the schoolwide vote was Sunset Sweet: milk …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[32,39,34,33,43,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-256","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-projects","7":"tag-aggie-chocolate","8":"tag-american-academy-of-innovation","9":"tag-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory","10":"tag-roald-dahl","11":"tag-sunset-sweet","12":"tag-willy-wonka","14":"without-featured-image"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"markjsanderson","author_link":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/?author=1"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=256"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions\/273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markjsanderson.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}