LKA Sarasota

What to expect:

• Most cooking classes run three hours. Teen Night classes are 2.5 hours. Toddler’s First Taste classes are 75 minutes and are the only classes where caregivers will stay the entire time.
• Students are empowered to cook on their own, which builds confidence, independence, and healthy eating habits, all while gaining practical life skills, learning food literacy.
• The students set the community table and enjoy the delicious dish they have just created.

What to expect:

• 75-minute classes of guided Montessori-inspired instruction for toddler and caregiver
• We provide all the tools and instruction for the child to make a simple recipe with some assistance from their caregiver when appropriate for their developmental stage.
• If your child is 2 years old, or newly 3 years old but you aren’t quite sure if they are ready for our 3-5 year-old classes, these Toddler’s First Taste classes will allow them to benefit from the life skills taught at LKA and get them ready to graduate to our 3-hour program.

What to expect:

• The curriculum capitalizes on children’s developmental stage, so the recipes are simplified to strengthen their gross motor skills while developing and refining their fine motor skills.
• Together, we work through the recipe of the day by collecting, washing, and preparing our ingredients.
• We show the children how to safely handle kitchen equipment and clean up after themselves. We set the community table and enjoy the delicious dish they have just created.

What to expect:

• This age is all about imagination and abstraction. Students love figuring out different choices to make their foods taste better. Thinking outside of the box allows them to build their confidence and become more interested in trying new things.
• Basic concepts of math and science are introduced. For example, when cutting a whole pepper into slices, students are exposed to the concepts of fractions and division.
• We show the children how to safely handle kitchen equipment and clean up after themselves. We set the community table and enjoy the delicious dish they have just created.
• 4pm weeknight classes are our new LKA Supper Club ensuring the students prepare a savoury and balanced dish so they can learn to cook and eat supper together!

What to expect:

• Understanding the important developmental stage they are entering; we ask questions rather than always provide instruction.
• We encourage the students to make substitutions based on their personal interests and tastes and lead discussions on how to change the recipe next time.
• By encouraging thought on how to tweak recipes builds confidence, perhaps one day eliminating the “there’s nothing to eat” statement when looking at a full refrigerator!
• 4pm weeknight classes are our new LKA Supper Club ensuring the students prepare a savoury and balanced dish so they can learn to cook and eat supper together!

What to expect:

• LKA Teen Nights help prepare for an independent life away from home at college or university
• Our Montessori-inspired environment encourages each student to focus on what interests them the most: be it exploring culinary art, learning new skills, or making meaningful connections.
• During the sessions, we cover a wide range of topics about food literacy and nutrition that are essential for young people to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
• Students develop their knowledge about nutrition, eating locally and organically, and the impact of their food choices on their minds, bodies, and the environment.
• They will learn how to safely handle a wide range of kitchen equipment, discover how to tweak recipes, and prepare amazing meals they can recreate at home with family and friends.