Cooking in the Classroom

Myriah – Haney Centre 👩‍🏫✨

For the past two years we’ve been working with Myriah, Special Education Teacher at Franke Oke Secondary School’s Haney Centre to bring CITC to her students. “We were thrilled to partner with FoodShare for the Chefs in the Classroom program,” Myirah shared. “As an insitution supporting students with developmental disabilities and special needs, many of whom come from low socio-economic backgrounds, this experience was especially meaningful.”

One of the best things about CITC workshops is that everyone has something unique to bring to the table. “Using their life skills, our students helped prepare the meal and were proud to take home delicious, nutritious dishes they had made themselves,” Myriah explained. “The chefs also worked closely with us to design a meal tailored to our students’ needs, ensuring that everyone could participate fully.”

It’s so important to us that each student feels welcome and involved at our workshops. “The FoodShare team brought joy into our kitchen and created a truly inclusive, hands-on experience that our students will remember, said Myriah.

Thanks to Myriah for sharing her experience with us. We cannot wait to cook together again soon!

Chef Camille 👩‍🍳✨

Chef Camille Meyers has been partnering with us on the Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) program for about five years, beginning at the height of the pandemic. “While it was still meaningful then, it felt very different not being able to connect with the kids face-to-face,” Camille shared.

“Now that we’re back in person, I really enjoy the hands-on experience, showing students how to roll out dough, use a frying pan safely, or taste and adjust flavours. The energy in the room, the laughter, and the ability to guide them step-by-step makes such a huge difference, Camille said. “It has been a deeply rewarding experience.”

Camille believes that “food is a powerful tool for connection, empowerment, and self-expression.” That’s why CITC is so important to them — “sharing culinary skills with young people helps them gain confidence in the kitchen, develop healthier relationships with food, and see cooking as both a life skill and a form of art.”

Some of Camille’s most memorable moments from the workshops have been watching the discovery and excitement on the children’s faces. “They sometimes look unsure at first, but after being a part of the whole cooking process and tasting the finished dish, their reaction shifts from ‘I don’t think that’s going to work’ to ‘Wow, this is incredible. I can’t wait to make it at home with my family’,” Camille explained.

Their best tips for other chefs interested in joining CITC? “Organization and planning are key,” Camille said. “I’ll be honest, as someone with ADHD, this is an area I’ve had to work hard on, but I’ve found that writing things down and mapping out each step in advance makes a huge difference.”

Camille also shared a reminder that “while it’s a learning experience for the kids, it will also be a learning experience for you. Every class brings something new.” But most importantly, “Enjoy the process — when you’re having fun, the students will too.”

We’re so grateful to have you as part of the CITC program, Camille! Follow Chef Camille’s cooking adventures at @dvourr on Instagram.

Senior Coordinator Wynette 👩‍🏫✨

Wynette Tavares, Senior Coordinator at FoodShare, coordinates and supports all back-end planning as well as facilitating of Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) programming.

That includes booking sessions with teachers, screening potential Chefs, coordinating with coworkers to gather and prep materials, supporting the chefs and students with cooking, and planning activities that get students and teachers talking about food justice.

“We try to work closely with the teacher and students to understand the learning abilities and needs of students ahead of time as best we can and provide small, intimate cooking sessions in close collaboration with the Chef,” Wynette said.

Over the years Wynette has seen the program evolve to meet different needs. “During the pandemic, the team pivoted to online workshops, packing ingredient kits prior to the workshops, partnering with Gig Workers United to deliver kits so they could follow along with the Chef virtually, from their own kitchen,” Wynette explained. “In the past two years or so, the program seems to be more sought out by teachers with students with developmental disabilities who get to shine and higlight their skills at the kitchen table.”

To Wynette, that’s the best part about CITC: “to be able to see the pride and joy in the students as they prepare a meal in real time.”

As for her favourite meal from the workshops? “Too many favorites to pick one! All our Chefs come ready to share delicious meals that are a joy to make, from a simple hearty salad to a nourishing Nigerian soup.”

Thanks so much, Wynette, for sharing your CITC stories with us and helping make this program possible.

Chef Kellie 👩‍🍳✨

Chef Kellie Asante has been partnering with us on Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) programming for about a year. “My experience with CITC has been incredibly fulfilling,” Kelly shared. “Being invited back multiple times, in different kitchens and with diverse groups of students including many with unique, neurodivergent perspectives, has deeply enriched my understanding of how I want to serve others through food.”

When asked about her favourite moments from CITC workshops, Kellie said, “when a student started dancing to Ghanaian Highlife music I was playing, it reminded me of how the kitchen — with all its sensory elements, music, movement, and food — can create a sense of comfort and belonging. The kitchen is more than just a place to cook; it’s a space for community, refuge, and learning.”

Another moment that stood out was “connecting with a student of African descent who seemed genuinely moved to see someone who shared their background leading the class. I could see that representation reflected in the care and attention they gave to their cooking.”

“This collaboration has helped clarify my purpose and the ways I hope to contribute to the greater good through my work, Kellie added.

And her biggest takeaway from her experience with CITC? “What you share with the students, and what they share with you, can’t be measured. The beauty of this program is how much you learn by simply showing up, connecting, and creating together.”

Thank you, Kellie, for sharing your wisdom with us! We look forward to the next workshop together 🎶

Educator Ranu 👩‍🏫✨

Ranu Hamilton has been working as an Educator with FoodShare for 9 years and on the Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) program for 8.

“As an educator, I support our chefs to deliver fun food memories to participants while I handle logistics to ensure a smooth experience,” Ranu explained. “I do this by ordering food, facilitating food justice activities connected to the dish, and seizing spontaneous opportunities for connection & learning (my fave part of the job).”

Having spent so many years with CITC, Ranu has a lot to reflect on. “The program has evolved over the years to be more purpose-driven. Before, the focus was on ‘healthy’ foods & dishes, but now we encourage chefs to make cultural dishes as much as they want,” she explained. “It helps to remove the stigma of folks believing that the foods they cook at home aren’t worthy of being celebrated, and emphasizes how food nourishes us in many different ways besides our stomachs.”

Ranu also loves to hear from students about the different ways folks cook or name their cultural dishes — “we never escape the curry chicken versus chicken curry debate.”

When asked what makes CITC so important, Ranu said that “it gives students the capacity to feed themselves well and possibly turn that into a career. Access to BIPOC chefs & food entrepreneurs lets students see what is possible by folks who look like them and to ask questions in a safe space. Our chefs are amazing folks who live their food justice values out loud and profitably, which is just as important at times to youth,” Ranu shared.

Ranu has had some delicious meals with CITC throughout the years, but there’s one in particular she’ll never forget. “We made a family-style meal with youth in FoodShare’s School Grown program in 2018,” she reminisced. “We re-made our favourite dishes from the chefs who worked with us. Youth invited relatives, chosen family and friends, and we served it in the garden where most of the produce was grown. They were so proud and their folks were so impressed. And the food was good, too!” Naturally.

We appreciate the time you took to share these wonderful memories with us, Ranu!

Chef Joshna 👩‍🍳✨

Chef Joshna Maharaj began her journey with Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) during the pandemic in 2020, helping us to pivot the program by offering virtual workshops. Despite the challenges during those times, Joshna shared, “my experience collaborating with FoodShare on this program was full joy. The administration was easy and thoughtful, and the onsite/online team from FoodShare was amazing.”

Joshna made special mention of FoodShare team member Ranu, featured in yesterday’s post, sharing that “Ranu was the most wonderful facilitator and made those virtual sessions especially joyful.” 💚

Joshna led some unique workshops during her time, including a session in which students were refining a cinnamon roll recipe for their school snack bar. “I’m impressed with the diverse ways that this program offers students to engage with food and cooking,” Joshna said. “I believe that this is how we teach the relevance of food, and this is how we keep students and the teachers/administrators engaged and supportive.”

Thanks very much Chef Joshna for sharing your experiences with us and being a part of this important program.

Chef Luis 👨‍🍳✨

Chef Luis Valenzuela has been collaborating with FoodShare on Chefs in the Classroom (CITC) workshops & other programs since around 2015. “We did workshops at high schools, at UofT, we did a garlic workshop at Queen’s Park, and I even did a radio show with Ranu!” Luis reminisced.

“But I vividly remember the workshops during the pandemic, when baskets full of food were dropped off at our doorsteps,” he continued. “In hindsight, it was really difficult, but I also remember the huge impact it had on young people.”

When workshops were able to take place in person, Luis said, “it was very meaningful for these young people to have someone who worked in the industry. It inspired some of them to follow this path, which they might not otherwise have known about or considered.”

The program is particularly meaningful to Chef Luis because he, himself, benefited from similar types of programming in the past. “Organizations like FoodShare, they allow newcomers or young people to have some sort of guidance… In moments where you don’t know what’s happening, you can come into these places and find shelter, emotionally and physically. So it was important for me to give back from what I received,” he shared.

Plus, Luis explained, “True freedom starts from the little things we learn as kids, like being able to clean your bedroom, learn how to wash your clothes. It sounds silly, but food is one of those things that if you didn’t learn, if no one taught you how to cook, you’re dependent on things like fast food chains.”

And that’s why one of his favourite meals from a CITC workshop was when they taught the class to make three separate meals from a can of beans. “We made a salsa with the beans, we made refried beans, and we also made a veggie burger with grains and beans,” Luis shared. “It was really interesting to see the reaction from some of the students — one of them said, ‘we always have cans of beans at home, now I know how to make so many things!'”

Thank you, Chef Luis, for sharing these stories with us and for having such an impact on young people through CITC!

There’s no better way to commemorate 40 years of FoodShare than to look back at the incredible individuals who’ve made this work possible and contributed so much to our organization and community over the years.

Thanks so much to Myriah, Camille, Wynette, Kellie, Ranu, Joshna, and Luis for sharing your wisdom and stories with us!