Youth in our area often lack access to healthy food options due to economic circumstances. If they do have access, they often don't know what certain foods are or how to use them in a way that's good for them. They also lack the necessary skills to be able to help prepare meals or be safe in the kitchen. In order to combat these issues we decided to partner with or office NEP representative to host a two day cooking class unit for clover buds. 

The two day Clover bud Cooking series was open for 6-9 year old's. We focused on food safety, learning how to cut, measure and prepare meals. We also talked about the importance of a balanced diet by using the MyPlate Diagram. Each day participants were able to make an appetizer, entrée and a dessert to eat. All recipes were chosen from approved NEP materials and focused on trying new and healthier foods. We had a total of eleven participants for our sessions.

Post-session surveys indicated that 100% agreed or strongly agreed that they learned how germs are transferred to foods, how to use hand washing as a way to limit spread of germs, the correct way to hold a knife for cutting, how to measure ingredients, understand how to read and interpret MyPlate and feel more confident to help with cooking at home. All participants said they were extremely likely to participate in more of our programming. One parent wrote "My child had a wonderful time at cooking camp! Thank you for the opportunity! She looks forward to additional camps in the future."

Additional follow-ups indicated that participants were more enthusiastic about helping in the kitchen and felt more confident in meal prep.