FoodWIse and the Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac County are partnering this summer to offer an 8-part cooking class series for teens as a part of their Healthy Habits program.

Healthy Habits is a program adopted by the national Boys and Girls Club that emphasizes good nutrition, regular physical activity, and improving overall well-being. As a part of the program, kids have the opportunity to prepare tasty and healthy snacks using typical ingredients found in their homes. Each week, ingredients will be purchased at the Fond du Lac farmers market to promote farm-to-table, fresh, local ingredients.

During the cooking class series, the Boys and Girls Club will join at the Extension office’s kitchen where Grace Gallagher, FoodWIse Nutrition Educator, is teaching Teen Cuisine. Teen Cuisine is designed to teach youth from grades 6-12 important life skills to promote health. Students will get hands-on experience with kitchen skills, such as cutting, measuring, baking, etc. Teaching teens life skills doesn’t just build independence, but it also builds social emotional learning skills. In addition to hands-on cooking, FoodWIse has incorporated mindfulness strategies throughout the entire program.

Teaching teenagers important life skills is critical because they will be on their own, or may already be on their own. By teaching teens the knowledge and skills to make informed food and lifestyle choices, Educators are helping them to increase their confidence to apply these skills at home.