Project description:

The Young Northfield Chefs program, run by Carleton’s Firebellies student organization, aims to inspire and empower underprivileged teenagers  through the universal language of food. The program, which is partially funded by grant from the Statewide Health Improvement Program and supported by the Center for Community and Civic Engagement at Carleton College in partnership with the Northfield Middle School, connects youth not only with inspiring role models, but also to their community, their land, their food and each other.  The project started in the winter of 2013 and has continued to grow and be successful.

Each week Carleton students teach cooking as an art, nurturing an environment where the children are the artists and the ingredients their working material. You cannot define art for an artist. As a result, the workshops are not focused on strict adherence to recipes. Instead, participants are guided to go step-by step in order to define and get familiar with the art they are creating.  The lessons are designed to be interactive, presenting hands-on activities for students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of cooking and nutrition. One week might focus on knife skills and salsa making, while another focuses on simple stove top cooking through roasting nuts. Gradually, the program introduces more complex activities such as cooking meals. We hope to raise awareness about the importance of cooking as a great medium to promote not only sustainability and health, but also to emphasize food as a social event and the profound cultural role it plays in society. In addition, the participants learn basic cooking skills, food-related games, field trips, and lectures that enhance participants’ learning experience.

Additional Resources:

Carleton’s Firebellies Cooking Club has been featured in many publications such as this article in the Chronicle for Higher Education.

Learn more about the Firebellies group at their website: http://firebellies.wordpress.com

Project Contacts:

Vayu Rekdal (mainirev@carleton.edu), Emily Pence (pencee@carleton.edu.)