Junior Project

For my junior project, I chose to plan and execute a series of three cooking classes for kids ages 8-12. I developed an interest in cooking at a young age, and I credit that to two things: my mom and the summer cooking classes that I took every year. I have vivid memories of those classes (usually taught by a local chef or hosted by the local community college) and the skills that I learned through them, such as how to use a knife safely and how to be brave in the kitchen and try new things without fear. As I thought about the impact that those classes had on me, I realized that I wanted to provide that for other kids, and decided to make a cooking class series happen.

I did 100% of the planning for this project. I researched recipes, techniques, and learning objectives that would be good for the age group I planned to work with, practiced different recipes to ensure my skills were where they needed to be, had conversations with professionals who had significant experience with kitchen-centered programs, and ultimately had the responsibility of ensuring that parents were not wasting their time by bringing their children to my classes. As the dates I chose grew closer, I began advertising the classes through social media and word-of-mouth, eventually filling the 9 spots I made available.

The first class was held in early March. I co-led it with another classmate, and the day went smoothly with no major issues. When it was all over, I was amazed that I actually made an event happen. It’s not out of reach, and it’s not nearly as hard as it seems if you’re willing to put in some work. I was excited to take the experience that I gained in the first session into the second and third ones, but unfortunately, we got the news shortly after the first class that school would be closed for the rest of the semester. I was forced to adapt my project to a virtual environment for the remainder of the course, producing tutorial videos and sending them out to the students who would’ve been learning with me in person. My knowledge base had to expand, and I was kicked right out of the comfort zone I had just established- I had promised this to people, and I had to deliver! I made it work and became a more experienced editor and producer in the process.

The Delta School’s values focus on human-centered design and a project-based style of learning, and this project was heavily influenced and supported by those values. I spent plenty of time running through ideas, scrapping them, then coming up with a new one, realizing it wouldn’t work and I needed to adapt, etc., etc. I doubt I would’ve done something like this in my junior year of high school if I weren’t at The Delta School. Looking back on the project, I’m most of all grateful for the independence I was given and the trust my teachers placed in me to do this project with excellence. I gained an abundance of real-world skills throughout this process that will stay with me for the rest of my life.