Life skills classes in middle school have proven to be very beneficial to students as they move into high school and eventually to independent life. One middle school in Madison County KY takes this to the next level offering an after school cooking club to the students who don’t have the opportunity to take a life skills class during the school year. The cooking club is a partnership between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (Snap-Ed) Assistant and the Family Resource Center Director. It is a seven week program teaching, proper hand washing and Food Safety, Measuring, MyPlate, Meal Planning, Table Etiquette and basic cooking to all middle schooler’s interested.

These five students demonstrate their new found skills by planning, cooking and serving a dinner to their families at the end of the class. While there is no true substitute for what the students learn in a school driven life skill class, by offering this afterschool version, these students have an opportunity to learn how to safely prepare healthy food for themselves and their families.  All five students showed improvement in one or more areas, there was also a 100% improvement in dietary guideline recommendations, 80% improvement in hand washing and an 80% improvement in safe food handling practices. These students have shown how important these skill are for their future success.