From left, are students T. J. Grieve, Hannah Vogts, Henry Drier, Kadee Merrill, Markell Owens and chef/instructor Valerie Hanson.

Cook”in Club is a concept created by educators, community volunteers and representatives of the Culinary Institute. The purpose is to provide a youth cooking experience that emphasizes nutrition awareness, food safety, cultural diversity, team building, basic culinary skills, and self-esteem. The first six-week session began in late October with eight students and successfully “graduated” seven. Those seven students will begin an advanced six-week course in March.

For the prototype program the group chose Bygone Basics of Montague where owner Valerie Hanson regularly offers lessons in basic cooking. Through her efforts the lesson plans were written, each based on creating a dish while teaching basic kitchen skills. The recipes for each of these dishes were also written. The advanced class will follow the same model.

The long range intent of the organizing group is to develop a plan that can be followed by any organization with access to a kitchen, a lead chef/instructor, and about 6 adult volunteers willing to give an hour and a half a week for six weeks. The program will be available to organizations at no charge.

Follow up testing of the concept will begin in Whitehall in early February. A staff of volunteers, working from the prototype manual, will conduct those classes.

A Brunch Fund Raiser for Cook’In Club is planned for March 24 at the White Lake Eagles. Proceeds will be used to cover printing costs for materials to expand the program to interested organizations.

For information regarding Cook’In club, call Dave Pickard at 893-3261.