About Cooking with Kids
Cooking with Kids motivates and empowers elementary school students to make healthy food choices. Through hands-on nutrition education activities, kindergarten through 6th grade students explore, prepare, and enjoy fresh, affordable foods from around the world.
We believe that experience with fresh, healthy foods is an important part of learning how to take care of yourself. Many of us were fortunate to grow up with parents and grandparents, neighbors and friends who cooked and gardened, sharing with us the value and pleasure of food. Growing, cooking, and eating fresh foods became a cherished part of our lives. Today, most children do not have this experience. Children embrace these experiences instinctively, with enthusiasm and willingness in every class we teach.
Donate in any amount today!CWK programs cost $100.00 per student per year.Bringing healthy foods into the classroom can increase students’ awareness, appreciation, and knowledge of healthy eating. Our experience supports research that finds that children need to be offered a new food a number of times before they accept it, and as such, we work to expose students to a variety of positive food choices while honoring the individual choice and preference of each child. Children should be encouraged, but never forced to try a new food.
We also believe in being good stewards of our environment and supporting our community. Whenever possible, we purchase locally grown produce in order to support our local economy and sustainable growing practices.
Lean more by reading our 2010-2011 Program Report
History
Cooking with Kids grew out of the efforts of a local student nutrition advisory council to improve school food. Lynn Walters initiated Cooking with Kids in 1995, based on food acceptance research conducted by Antonia Demas, Ph.D., and inspired by the work of Cookshop and The Hartford Food System. We began as a volunteer effort in two public elementary schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Today, over 4,000 pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students in ten schools participate in the program. We are encouraged by the consistent support from public and private sources, Santa Fe Public Schools, and the generosity of the philanthropic community.
Awards
Piñon Award in Education
Santa Fe Community Foundation
September 15, 2009
The Santa Fe Community Foundation has awarded CWK with the 2009 Manual Luján, Sr. Award for Outstanding Service in Education. Often called “the Academy Awards for Nonprofits,” the Piñon Awards were established in 1987 and are the only honor reserved exclusively for nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit Santa Fe Community Foundation.
Innovation in Prevention Award
United States Department of Health and Human Services
November 27, 2007
Santa Fe’s Cooking with Kids, Inc. has been chosen as the national non-profit Innovation in Prevention Award winner by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for its efforts in promoting healthy lifestyles in communities.
“Cooking with Kids is an example of how health education for children can be interesting and effective,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. “The program’s approach to helping children make healthy food choices will provide a strong foundation throughout their entire lives.”
LINC Award (Leadership, Innovation, and Nutrition Collaboration)
USDA Food and Nutrition Services
September 14, 2005
Cooking with Kids has been honored with the national LINC Award recognizing Leadership, Innovation, and Nutrition Collaboration from USDA Food and Nutrition Services in the category of Partnerships and Collaborations. This award is for projects that use collaborative methods and integrated approaches in planning, developing, and delivering nutrition education involving multiple FNS programs.
Who We Are
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cheryl Alters Jamison, Chair
Author and Culinary Consultant
Four-time James Beard award-winning author Cheryl Alters Jamison has written more than a dozen books on food and travel. She also consults on culinary tourism and outdoor kitchen design.
www.cookingwiththejamisons.com
Diana Gonzales-Pacheco, DCN, RD, Vice-Chair
Bionutritionist
Diana is the Research Nutrition Manager for the CTSC Exercise Lab and the Metabolic Kitchen at the University of New Mexico Clinical and Translational Science Center. Diana became involved with Cooking with Kids as a parent volunteer when her children were at Nava Elementary school.
Jennifer Fresquez, Secretary/Treasurer
Whole Foods Marketing Specialist
Jennifer’s love and interest in food and agriculture began with her family business, Monte Vista Organic Farm, in Espanola. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and is currently employed by Whole Foods Market where she is in charge of marketing and community relations.
Susan Nelson Blakely, RD, Director
Food Marketing Consultant
Susan’s career focus has been on working with food manufacturers to market their products to the foodservice industry. With a master’s degree in nutrition, her early work life was in the areas of nutrition education and communications. Although Susan is currently retired, she continues to follow her passions of food, cooking, wine and travel.
ADVISORY BOARD
Blanche Harrison
Nutrition Educator and Retired Dietitian
Blanche Harrison has worked to support and facilitate nutritious school meals that children will eat and also volunteers in the areas of arts and culture in New Mexico.
Marion Kalb
Food Advocate
Events Planner, School Food FOCUS, one of he leading progressive organizations working on school food change. Co-Founder, National Farm to School Network.
www.schoolfoodfocus.org
Carla Lopez
City of Santa Fe Public Information Administrator
Community activist and organizer in the fields of law, environment, Native American and Chicano-specific issues, schools, and health, Carla Lopez also served on the Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education.
www.santafenm.gov
Michael Roach
Entrepreneur
Founder and former president of CleanAIR Systems, Michael Roach received the City of Santa Fe’s 2011 Innovative Entrepreneur Award. Mr. Roach currently advises and volunteers in the areas of green technologies and economic development.
STAFF
Lynn Walters, Founder and Executive Director
Jane Stacey, Program Director
Anna Farrier, Community Liaison
Rachel Shreve, Administrative Assistant
FOOD EDUCATORS
Linda Apodaca
Deborah Barbe
Bernadette Bartlett
Lily Chapman
Amy Galanter
Anna Farrier
Karla Helland
Cathy Rey Montoya
Flor de Maria Oliva
Rachel Shreve
AMERICORPS VOLUNTEER
Amelia Pedini
Site Credits: Photography by Lynn Walters, Kate Russell, Genevieve Russell, Jennifer Davidson, and Amy Galanter