Durham Catholic Students are Learning Life Skills at the Culinary Skills Summer Program

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Young adults ages 17-21 with exceptional needs are learning valuable life skills at the Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre’s Culinary Skills summer program. “Classes are designed to strengthen a student’s literacy and communication, while building skills in numeracy and measurement,” said Stacey Ritchie, Vice-Principal at Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre.

The three-week program is providing students with hands-on skills that they can use at home, in the community or in the workplace. “Students are learning the art of cooking and the science of baking by following recipes, measuring ingredients and learning new skills such as chopping vs. dicing vs. slicing,” said Christine Congrady, Program Support Teacher. “It’s Math in action.”

“This program is lots of fun,” said Kareem, student. “We cook four to five recipes every day. Today’s theme is a picnic and we have baked red velvet cupcakes, made macaroni salad, a potato salad and kabobs.”

Students not only learn valuable skills, but also have an opportunity to wash dishes, clean the kitchen, set the table and dine together. Upon completion, the students receive a certificate and recipe book so they can keep cooking at home.