This spring was certainly full of challenges. Like many schools and after-school programs across the country, The Sylvia Center quickly transitioned to a digital learning platform to continue to connect with our communities while adhering to state and CDC recommendations to keep each other safe and healthy.
To help foster these connections, our incredible partners at Grand Street Settlement invited us to join their virtual after-school space so we could continue our Lower East Side and Brooklyn classrooms.
We maintained our core program element of “student-led learning” with a “choose your own adventure” class model. For every class, our community chefs identified real-time choices that students could make during the cooking process to influence the outcome of the dish. Each week, our students were able to learn, experiment, and stay engaged in our virtual lessons.
Now more than ever, we are committed to being innovative and imaginative to ensure that young New Yorkers and their families have access to healthy, fresh food and nutrition education.
Through intensive outreach and planning, The Sylvia Center was also able to create fantastic new partnerships with Los Sures and Grand Street Settlement’s Bushwick-Hylan Cornerstone Community Center. Together, we are able to provide each of our families with all the ingredients necessary (and extra!) to cook a classic Sylvia Center recipe in a real-time cook-along class with one of our community chefs.
After our first class using this new program model, we were thrilled to receive positive feedback from the Bushwick Site Director. One participant’s mom shared, “We really appreciated this opportunity. It brought my family and I closer through this experience.” The participant is already counting down the days until the next session!
We are so grateful for the opportunity to continue to bring joy through building culinary skills and coming together in the kitchen around fresh and healthy ingredients in New York City and Columbia County.
Together, we can launch more classes like this and empower young New Yorkers to lead healthy, full lives.
Recipe of the Week
Chef Destiny’s No Bake Energy Bites are the perfect snack for on the go! They are easy to make and will supply your body with protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and energized. Chef Destiny uses ingredients like chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, nut butter, honey, and chocolate chips to make a yummy yet nutrient-dense snack
Activity Recap
Former Community Chef Sam Moll demonstrated mindfulness exercises and shared tips with the Teen Culinary Apprentices in preparation for their virtual summer internship teaching young children. These exercises can help relieve stress both inside a classroom or in your personal life.
Growing Together
With the addition of virtual classrooms to our program model, The Sylvia Center is able to expand our reach and help more families learn how nourishing foods keep our communities healthy and strong.
Your donation today helps us connect with more community partners, like Los Sures and the Bushwick-Hylan Cornerstone Community Center, to provide essential items for healthy cooking classes at home.
