As we take our Summer Break from Kids’ Cooking Classes (19 years and counting), we are reminded of this student. She was so excited to come to class and chop vegetables. She reminded us of the myriad of benefits children receive when they cook at school or at home, beyond health. If you are interested in bringing cooking classes to your school, home, summer camp, please contact us. We are also happy to train others to develop these programs in their communities.
WHY COOKING CLASSES FOR KIDS ARE SO VITAL – AS EXPRESSED BY A BERKELEY TEACHER
Health: Michael offers students a chance to sample and enjoy healthy and fresh vegetables, grains and fruit. Because the students prepare the food themselves, they are extremely motivated to sample these otherwise unpopular foods. They say, “Huh, I never knew I liked greens so much,” or “May I please have some more sweet potato soup?” or “It’s called, ‘Polenta?’ I love it!” Having kids beg for more of these nutrient-rich and low calorie treats is an enormous step in the direction of solving our country’s childhood obesity crisis.
Home-school connection: Another quote often heard during cooking class, “I’m going to make this at home!” So many parents have told me that their children come home, recipe in hand, demanding to make Three Sisters Soup, Lettuce Wraps, Simple Cinnamon Apples and Garden Salad with Chick peas. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to validate school curriculum at home, while having fun and being healthy.
Access to all: Very much like the arts, our cooking curriculum is accessible to students of all languages and abilities. As teachers, we are constantly searching for ways that our struggling learners can have success; our cooking classes are an amazing self-esteem boost for these students. Likewise, because the hands-on and visual nature of cooking class, the lessons and experiences are pretty much equally accessible to students of all language ability.
Curriculum Integration: Because students love cooking class so much, it’s a natural choice for engaging them in many academic areas: the step-by-step writing process, measuring, counting, reading, small motor skills, five senses, compare and contrast, science, hygiene, nutrition …I could go on and on. As a teacher, I’ve learned that student engagement is pretty much everything. If I can capture student’s interest, there is no limit to what they can learn, process and experience. Michael provides us with this stepping stone to learning on a regular basis.
Sheer joy: In this often chaotic world, it is so sweet to watch my classes, year after year, engage in the nurturing process of food preparation and eating with others. If only I could attach the hundreds of photos I’ve taken of my students joyfully stirring, chopping, sautéing and simply sitting with their classmates enjoying their efforts; the photos would say more than I could ever express about the value of the cooking program at Thousand Oaks.