According to the Center for Disease Control, connectedness can reduce the likelihood of negative health outcomes related to alcohol and substance use, sexual risk, violence, and mental health problems in children.  They recommend one of the simplest ways to promote connectedness is to have family meal time.  To provide a fun and educational environment for youth to gain knowledge and learn skills which will lead to success in the kitchen, the Family and Consumer Sciences agent, met monthly in the 2019-2020 school year with 4^th and 5^th grade 4-H students.  

Using the Super Star Chef curriculum, 4-H students learned essential cooking skills such as kitchen safety, knife skills, reading a recipe, and measuring skills.  During meeting days students were able to create a dish and taste test their finished product.  Recipes were chosen to challenge both the knowledge and skill of the participants as well as their palate.  Initially students learned to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthier diet for themselves, but evaluations showed students indicated they have improved food management skills and healthy eating habits by continuing to cook for their families and by asking their parents to purchase and introduce new and different foods into their family’s dinner routines.  Because of the success of this program with 4-H students, the after school cooking club will be offered again next year.