You might love the idea of teaching students cooking skills, healthy habits, and the power of nutrition, all through a hands-on, engaging experience they’ll enjoy.
Here’s what to know about LIFT Enrichment culinary workshops and after-school cooking classes.
- Do I need to bring equipment?
- How will my classroom look after the workshop?
- Will the kids enjoy it?
- Will they get on with the chef?
- Will our students really be willing to try Parmesan cheese and broccolini?!?
We get it.
If it’s your first time, inviting a chef into your classroom can be pretty intimidating. So, to put you at ease, we’ve recently expanded into NY, and here’s what a few schools in New York are saying about LIFT Enrichment culinary workshops after-school cooking classes.
100% hassle-free for teachers
As a teacher, you’re busy enough juggling marking, assignments, and lesson plans. And you might think you don’t have time to organize an after-school program. We have designed our cooking programs to eliminate all the hassles for teachers, directors, or coordinators. We bring the equipment, we bring the food, and we do the setup and cleanup.
As Regina Collins, the Assistant Manager of the Expanded Learning Program in Vallejo City Unified School District, told us,
“Working with LIFT Enrichment has been a consistently positive experience for our program. One of the most appreciated aspects by our site coordinators is the convenience of LIFT Enrichment providing all necessary cooking materials and supplies, which greatly reduces the burden on staff and ensures smooth implementation.”
Help “picky eaters” enjoy new foods
Do “picky eaters” exist?
Or are there just kids who’ve never been given the chance to get excited about all the wonderful foods?
We don’t think kids are hardwired to hate certain foods. Rather, it’s how foods and subjects are presented that puts them off.
In our experience?
If you introduce new foods in the right way and get kids enthusiastic about stepping out of their comfort zone, you end up with kids who are more confident trying new things long after the cooking classes stop.
That’s something Ms. Collins really valued about LIFT Enrichment culinary workshops:
“The program introduces students to ingredients they may not typically encounter at home, which has been both an exciting and challenging experience for them. While some students are hesitant at first, many grow to enjoy the exposure and develop an openness to trying new things, an outcome we truly value.”
And as Susie Strangis, counselor at Hyde Park Elementary, explains, getting kids to try new foods is key to setting them up for a healthy life:
“The students loved it! They’re excited to try new foods, and it’s helping them build healthy habits early on. This experience has taught them the skills they need to make healthier food choices and understand the importance of nutrition.”
Speaking of which…
Nutrition, taught at a kid’s level
Our classroom chefs aren’t out to regurgitate facts and figures from nutrition books but are actually presenting nutrition in a way that’s fun and understandable to kids.
As Danielle Zona, the Dean of Students at Abate elementary school in the City of Niagara, explains,
“Chef Robin was wonderful to work with! She really understood the students and how to work with them. She was patient and was able to teach students in a way that they understood what they were doing, not just stand up there and talk at them. The recipes were easy to follow for students, and they seemed to really like them.”
And that’s one of the reasons why students have such a great time.
Danielle points out,
“The students were always looking forward to attending the program, and I had a long waiting list, which was awesome to see the interest in this type of club!”
Finally…
Teaching students the power of habit
Along with nutrition info, good habits are something our classroom chefs try to instill in students too: how to handle knives, teamwork, and cleaning up after themselves as they cook.
“Chef Robin taught the students that it was everyone’s responsibility to help with the cooking and cleaning throughout,” said Danielle Zona. “She maintained a very calm and respectful atmosphere in the ‘kitchen.’”
The habits they learn in the kitchen will rub off on their classroom behavior too.
If you’d like to find out more about LIFT Enrichment after-school cooking programs and the government grants you can use to fund it, you can book a free call with one of our team members here
Previous Newsletters:
Why Good Food Equals Good Grades, To change kids’ lives, start by changing their diets, Big Ways Afterschool Programs Support Title 1 Students, Chef Teacher Story: Meet Chef Scotty