New Jersey children have much to look forward to as The Garden State Community Kitchen (GSCK) gears up once again for their fun, educational and healthy summer program beginning Tuesday, July 5th – Friday, August 26th, 2016 at the Sand Hills Community Wellness Center in Kendall Park.
Children who enroll in this unique and beneficial program will spend their summer days learning about healthy cooking, gardening, yoga, fitness, nutrition, natural science, menu planning, shopping, and much more.
Providing farm-to-table education for children and families in the Garden State, this inspirational organization’s philosophy is that change cannot be expected by focusing on one aspect of “healthy eating.” In order to affect sustainable change to one’s diet and lifestyle, education on all aspects of food, mind, and body must come together.
During the 2015 summer program, GSCK kids prepared over 100 wholesome dishes. When participants were not busy in the kitchen, they could be found engaging in activities such as learning the power of mindfulness with yoga instructor April Lawicki, meeting animal guests, watching a baby chick hatch from an egg, enjoying hands-on science experiments, or planting and harvesting a variety of fruits and veggies in the garden.
Last year, children had the opportunity to cook for a community event with the town’s mayor sponsored by Stop n Shop. GSCK is planning on having a similar event in August, as well as with taking their annual trip to the Terhune’s Just Peachy Festival, where children serve up to 1,000 residents their peach creations.
“We had such a successful turnout in 2015 and we’re confident this summer’s program will be just that and so much more!” states GSCK Founder Allison O’Brien, a graduate of Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts who officially launched GSCK in May 2013.
“It’s the philosophy of our organization that by including children of all ages and using fun, hands-on educational techniques, that our lessons may begin to resonate and may be incorporated into the lives of our children more effortlessly,” says O’Brien. “Our goal is to help put an end to these unfortunate childhood health statistics and make a difference for New Jersey families that will last this summer and beyond!”
Learn more at: TheGardenStateCommunityKitchen.org/
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