Vetri Cooking Lab
Students of the Vetri Cooking Lab after school program at Saint Laurentius Catholic School or the Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, on April 20, 2022.
On a recent beautiful spring Wednesday afternoon, I had a great opportunity to visit the Vetri Cooking Lab at Saint Laurentius Catholic School of the Arts and Sciences. Serving students from Pre-K through 8th grade in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, Saint Laurentius is one of 21 schools throughout the area to benefit from this impressive after school program.
Vetri Cooking Lab, an ABZFF grantee, is a program from the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Vetri Community Partnership, which “empowers children and families to lead healthier lives through fresh food, hands-on experiences, and education.” This free, out-of-school time activity helps students establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills through STEM-based culinary education. By using the kitchen as a classroom, students have the opportunity to prepare nutritious recipes that support the development of culinary and literacy skills and nutritional knowledge.
In these kitchen classrooms, the team from Vetri puts kitchen tools and ingredients directly into the hands of students, giving them the opportunity to build confidence and critical life skills. Students learn recipes that are healthy and vegetable-focused, while being affordable. All students take home the recipe they learn to share with their families. One student, Joseph, said he enjoys the program because each week he tries something new.
Indeed, the students I observed at the Saint Laurentius Vetri Cooking Lab were truly empowered to cook a nutritious meal – from prep work to hands-on cooking and tasting to clean up. During my particular visit, the students, mostly in grades 2-4, made Eggplant Parmesan with Lentil Mushroom Bolognese. They chopped celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onion; grated garlic; breaded eggplant slices; mixed ingredients; cooked on portable electric pans; and really worked well together.
While the meal simmered away, the Vetri instructors gathered the students for a nutrition education lesson. And when it was time to eat, the older students helped the younger ones, and everyone gathered around the table to share the meal. The food was delicious.
It was so much fun to see the students create a meal together in such a collaborative, safe, and educational environment. I was amazed at what the Vetri team could bring to Saint Laurentius, and I look forward to visiting another school program site this fall.
—Suzy