DENVER — The Little Kitchen Academy (LKA) Denver has been teaching more than just the rules of the kitchen. They teach essential skills to help their students grow confidence. The Montessori-inspired cooking academy teaches year-round culinary classes to students ages 3-18 years old. During class, students learn how to make healthy, seasonal meals from scratch to consumption to learn life skills and food literacy.
“Everything we do is educational here,” LKA Denver Director Marci Levine said. “It’s very important throughout all of our classes that we talk about food literacy, so students understand that food doesn’t come from the grocery store but what the history and the story is behind it.”
The curriculum focuses on cooking with local, organic produce in a hands-on kitchen environment. Students learn how to cook from scratch with instructors showing them how to safely use kitchen tools and prepare a variety of recipes. Levine said the learning goes far beyond the kitchen.
“We’re not hoping that we’re building chefs of the world. We want to be productive members of society,” Levine said. “By teaching students essential life skills like independence, whether they’re in the kitchen or whenever they leave our doors, is going to help create a better future.”
Based in Vancouver, Canada, the concept was co-founded by entrepreneur Brian Curin, his wife, Montessori-trained, culinary expert, Felicity Curin and social impact investor and entrepreneur Praveen Varshney. They had a vision of becoming the global leader in teaching practical life skills and food literacy to children to promote a healthier society.
“We focus on building essential life skills, building independence, curiosity and confidence for every student who comes in our doors,” Levine said. “It might be disguised or hidden as we’re using food, but they’re using social skills and building on that.”
Students take a three-hour class to learn how to make healthy decisions while working on their reading and math skills.
“With our visual measuring cups, we’re talking about math and reading skills so everything we do, although it’s in the kitchen, is very academic,” Levine said. “They’re taking that confidence and that independence and that curiosity so they can go out and take those essential life skills and apply that to whatever they choose to do outside of our doors.”
Levine said it’s their mission to help their students make an impact.
“They’re using a variety of tools so they’re building that confidence in themselves that they can do anything.”
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