By Arriana Patraw
Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Program Manager
Cooking your own food may seem like a simple thing, but it’s easy to take for granted that young people are learning this critical life skill. That’s why The Heart Network’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) program applauds Salmon River Central School’s Cooking Club for empowering students to learn how to cook.
Salmon River’s Cooking Club was established on the heels of the Junior Iron Chef Club, which saw so much interest that it exceeded its capacity. So Food Service Manager Nicole Foster started up the club to meet the needs of students interested in learning to cook and bake from scratch.
The Cooking Club meets once a week after school. The students, Foster says, enjoy it immensely, often asking her during the school day what dish they’ll be learning to make next. Students also get to choose meals they’re interested in, and they learn knife skills, recipe reading, kitchen safety and cleanup. Most importantly, club members have fun and develop teamworking skills through collaborative cooking.
With a focus on physical activity and nutrition in community and school settings, our CHSC program, funded by the New York State Department of Health, has long partnered with Salmon River Central School on seed to tray programs and other wellness initiatives. The Cooking Club is another example of this school district’s commitment to developing essential skills in young people, with an eye toward self-sufficiency and healthy living. We send our kudos to Nicole Foster, co-advisor Alicia Moulton and her students for this excellent program!
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