Hey kids do you want to learn how to cook?

Many youth in North America are reconnecting with where their food comes from.  Young Cooks is a food skill program at LUSH Valley Food Action Society at 1126 Piercy Ave in Courtenay BC.    The Young Cooks share and learn about food in the kitchen, at the farm and at markets.  Exploring food connections increases knowledge of food issues related to nutrition and health, pollution and climate change.  

Typically the youth who participate in Young Cooks come from families with mental health problems or from low income families.  Youth get to explore cooking, choosing nutritious ingredients, recipe reading, basic budgeting and an introduction to the local food system through field trips.  Programming is geared to develop relationship skills with peers and community members.  During the last session the kids were inspired by all the locally grown food available at the market, and learning why it is important to shop locally. They learn about the issues of unfair working conditions, and what Fair Trade means to both the growers and themselves.

Every session the Young Cooks participate in a project that helps to express what they have learned about food.  Previous groups have done murals, films, and constructed raised gardens.

We are recruiting youth that want to improve food skills and increase their community awareness of the local food system. Students will receive food safety instruction and be able to prepare numerous, healthy meals of their choosing. A healthy snack at the start of each class is included and a fresh meal for the whole family is taken home.

There will be a Young Cooks Summer Day Camp July 7-11 and August 25-29.  Keep an eye on our website for details.

The Young Cooks Program is made possible by the support of the Children’s Health Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, the Province of BC and United Way.

Eligibility Criteria

· have an interest in food education, learning to prepare meals, chopping, shopping and eating.

· low income families or families with mental health/substance issues.

· Age 10-14 years +/-

Timeline and Frequency

3:30pm to 6pm on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons with the occasional  Saturday (for field trips), between March 19th and June 4th.

Please feel free to spread the word on this. More information can be found at lushvalley.org.  If you know a youth who may be interested have them contact Debi or Cynthia at 250-331-0152 or by email admin@lushvalley.org.

For this week only, Because We Can has moved to Thursday 6-9