“Story Time Young Entrepreneurs” Culinary Arts Program

Youth economic advancement

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles County exhibits the highest poverty density in California, impacting many children from multi-problem families. Recent data from the Lucile Packard Foundation highlights alarming rates of suicidal ideation among 9th (83%) and 11th graders (88.3%) as of 2015. PTSD disproportionately affects urban residents, with African Americans facing double the prevalence compared to whites (14% vs. 7.3%). Women and children in the US face instability, often compounded by encounters with the judicial system.
Through cooking classes at 3 Spice Bistro in Leimert Park, California, Chef Tiffany Swinson aims to inspire inner-city youth to pursue culinary careers. The StoryTime Young Entrepreneurs (STYE) initiative plans to train over 150 youth in two 16-week series focused on nutrition, mindfulness, and intuitive cooking. Participants will gain culinary skills to create healthy food for themselves and their communities, potentially transforming their economic prospects.

This year-round initiative is facilitated at 3 Spice Bistro in Leimert Park, California. We serve 150 children per year through an immersive 12 to 36-week class (100-325 service hours per student), ensuring a robust and transformative experience. Students are elementary, middle and high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Students learn to cook from ten food groups, and gain understanding of the Food, Beverage and Fine Dining industries. Students learn from a range of industry professionals, including Chefs, Restaurant Owners, and Politicians. conditions. It inspires individuals to channel their energies into uplifting crafts, benefiting both themselves and their community. The program combines mentorship with financial resources for culinary arts advancement, simultaneously instilling awareness of the positive impact of healthy eating and minimizing food scarcity. Participants emerge not only with trade skills but also with life skills, marking a holistic journey of development. We are committed to ensuring the program's sustainability by establishing partnerships with local schools and community organizations and leveraging additional funding sources.

We are committed to ensuring the program's sustainability by establishing partnerships with local schools and community organizations. We are committed to helping youth in career development, and mentorship to support and offer resources to at-risk youth. Through our core, we seek to rehabilitate, educate and employ, and inspire historically disadvantaged demographics throughout LA County. Our after-school program aligns seamlessly with our broader mission to break the cycle of disadvantage and empower future leaders among underserved youth. It emerges as a dynamic catalyst, fostering youth engagement, self-esteem, and community development. It inspires individuals to channel their energies into uplifting crafts, ingeniously combining mentorship with financial resources for culinary arts advancement and instilling awareness of the positive impact of healthy eating and minimizing food scarcity.

For our program evaluation, we will implement a robust methodology that encompasses both formative and summative assessments. Periodic formative assessments will occur throughout the program, focusing on key elements such as the completion of the program curriculum, Culinary Component Impact, participant engagement levels, and the retention of knowledge, assessed through quizzes and tests. This ongoing evaluation will provide valuable real-time insights into the program's effectiveness. Following the program's conclusion, a comprehensive summative evaluation will take place, evaluating the overall behavioral changes observed among participants. This will be measured through self-administered questionnaires and the completion of personal projects, offering a holistic understanding of the program's long-term impact. Our intensive curriculum offers a well-rounded approach to the overall development and assessment of the child. We plan to increase our reach and scaling our curriculum.