Children can and should cook. And now, they can cook with top chefs in the San Francisco Bay Area through the Sprouts Cooking Club.
Sprouts has teamed up with CUESA (The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) to offer a Celebrity Chef Cooking Series. For just $25 per class, children have had the opportunity to cook at top Bay-area restaurants with:
- Chef Anthony Strong, Locanda
- Chef Dennis Lee, Namu
- Chef Laurie-Ellen Pellicano, Tartine Bakery
- Chef Matthew-Sigler, Flour & Water
- Chef Chris Seyersdahl
The classes started in November, but there's still time to register. This week's classes:
- December 6th: Tartine Bakery 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Ferry Building
- December 10th: Namu 3:30-5:00 p.m. located at 439 Balboa Street at 6th Avenue
Next week's class:
- December 13th: The Ferry Building 4:00-5:50 p.m. located at One Ferry Building (where the Embarcadero meets Market Street)
If your kids are already all booked up through the holidays, don't despair, Sprouts has partnered with The Slanted Door for a special class followed by fundraising dinner for the adults to ring in 2012:
- January 1st: The Slanted Door 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Chef Charles Phan's Prep Kitchen (3334 18th Street)
- January 1st: Private Dinner at Chef Charles Phan's Prep Kitchen 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Why Your Kids Should Learn to Cook with Sprouts
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports the following:
- Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.
- The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. The percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
- In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
The answer lies in prevention.
- Schools play a critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating. (CDC)
Sprouts' Cooking Club Founder and Director, Karen Rogers became passionate about fighting obesity and other eating-related health issues while just a 19-year-old student at U.C. Berkeley.
"As I learned more and more about obesity and eating-related health issues, I realized that the root of the problem lies in the educational system. Kids aren’t learning how to eat balanced meals or lead healthy lifestyles. As a result, they are growing up to perpetuate a cycle of poor health and, not to mention, unsustainable farming practices. I knew that if we focus on our youth, and teach them how to cook, we can solve these issues. Taking action was simple; I organized classes where kids cooked with real chefs in real restaurants with real foods."
Sprouts has been teaching kids how to cook since 2006. Their mantra: "We strive to teach Bay-area children of all socioeconomic backgrounds how to cook hands on with real chefs, using real ingredients in real restaurants."
The incredible part of this equation is that Sprouts is a non-profit organization. The cooking classes are affordable, ranging from $15-$25 for regular classes and around $45 for fundraising classes. Every class offers scholarships and an easy application process.
For more information, contact Karen Rogers at karen@sproutscookingclub.org or call (406) 270-9819.
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