Milver Bravo launches an after-school cooking class
Posted: July 9, 2026
Categories: nourish to flourish
We began our after school cooking class in late October after receiving our “nourish to flourish” grant.
At first we had only a handful of students but by the end we had 18 participants. I named our program SMART BITES as this name connected with what the parameters of the grant intended. The make up of our program was students in grades 9-12, however we had more juniors than seniors in it. Students participated in many food labs, creating dishes from different cultural backgrounds that represented their own (Mexican, Caribbean, South Asia, China, Italian).
Students learned how to eat healthy while on a budget and how to buy local in order to limit the environmental footprint. None of the participants were in my Hospitality and Tourism classes which made them find interest in cooking and healthy eating. Some of the students never participated in any after school club and thus were inspired to join the many other clubs our wonderful school has to offer.
We were fortunate enough to have an EA in our class who was an immense support system for those students who needed guidance during food labs. She was a great cheerleader for this program who brought in students to participate. Her energy and enthusiasm for this program made every class enjoyable and worthwhile. The students loved her and sought her help continuously. A big shout out to Sue Pucci. As one student put it, “Mrs. Pucci was so helpful. This program helped me improve my cooking skills in a wonderful environment. I would join the club again”
Overall this was a great opportunity for some of our needy students to both learn how to cook and eat make healthy eating options. My principal was very happy with us getting the loan and providing this awesome program for our students. Thanks for the grant and we definitely will seek support from your organization to continue this program in the future. God Bless.