Foodie Camp 2026, held June 15–17, provided youth with a vibrant three‑day immersion into cooking, creativity, and hands‑on learning. The camp opened with kitchen basics and safety, giving participants the confidence they needed to dive into a wide range of recipes. Youth quickly put their skills to work by preparing cinnamon rolls and coleslaw before exploring Asian‑inspired dishes such as crab rangoons and orange chicken with rice—an exciting first‑time experience for many campers.
Throughout the first afternoon, youth rotated through stations to make granola bars, flavored grapes, scotcheroos, copycat Crumbl cookies, and chocolate pudding. They ended the day by sampling their creations and adding reflections to their Foodie Camp recipe books, which served as a personalized record of their learning and accomplishments.
Day two continued the momentum with fruit roll‑ups made in a dehydrator, breadsticks, fruit dip, and veggie dip. Lunch featured pinwheels and cheesy broccoli soup, followed by a lively game of Food Bingo. Campers then shifted to dessert and preservation skills, creating and decorating cake pops, learning how to make layered drinks, and preparing peach jam. Their recipe books grew again as they documented new techniques and favorite recipes.
The final day showcased just how much confidence youth had gained. Campers made bagels, pasta salad, mochi, and banana bread before using their homemade bagels to assemble breakfast sandwiches for lunch. The afternoon wrapped up with energy bites, hand pies, and hot cocoa jar mixes—items they were excited to take home and share with their families. Each participant left camp with a completed recipe book and a collection of leftover treats from the week.
Evaluation data highlights the strong impact of the program. Eleven of the 13 youth who attended completed the survey. Of those respondents, 91% (10 out of 11) strongly agreed that the activities were fun and engaging, and 91% also strongly agreed that Foodie Camp increased their interest and curiosity for cooking. Additionally, 73% (8 out of 11) strongly agreed that they learned something new during the camp. These results demonstrate that the camp successfully fostered both skill development and enthusiasm for cooking.
Youth reflections reinforce these findings. Participants shared that they learned “how to make different recipes/fun foods/new things” (mentioned four times), along with specific skills such as making crab rangoons, bagels, and understanding techniques like preheating the oven and not overmixing batter. Several youth highlighted the value of trying new foods, with one noting that “trying new things can have good outcomes and are worth trying.” Another shared that “bread things increased my interest because they had more steps to follow,” showing increased confidence with more complex recipes.
Foodie Camp 2026 successfully blended skill‑building, creativity, and exploration. Youth left with new abilities, increased confidence, and recipe books full of memories from their time in the kitchen. Families can find additional photos and highlights on our Facebook page.