Chef with Community Collaboration

The Cause

Chef with Community
NSTEP is collaborating with Greater Forest Lawn Community Association and their Youth Employability Skills (YES) program, Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth, Sunalta and other community agencies to build employability, leadership, and time management skills. Chef on NSTEP is a food, financial literacy and food preparation skills program, that helps to build these valuable skills. They gain lifelong healthy habits and can then educate their families on how to eat nutritionally dense foods on a minimal budget. Many learn they love culinary arts and can lead to employment and post secondary opportunities to be a Red Seal Chef. Participants receive physical activity education and information on why activity is important for prevention of future chronic diseases. This is the start of an active lifestyle for many youth. The program and recipes are adapted/co-designed to accommodate the participants and communities, including providing translated educational resources and culturally appropriate recipes. Co-designing with a well respected community member that can take NSTEP education more broadly into their community, is a key element. For example YES in Greater Forest Lawn is a community partner with a history of creating welcoming and inclusive environments for children and youth ultimately building stronger communities.

Who Will it Benefit?

Children and youth and indirectly their families in Greater Forest Lawn and other communities. For example, YES facility is across from three schools (CBE CCSD) and reduces the barrier of needing transportation to access Chef. CBFY has afterschool programming in many schools. The main impact is empowering these youth in community within their community (GFLA) to take this knowledge back. This builds their employability skills, connections in their community and become better citizens. Chef on NSTEP with no fee will help more accessibility to the parents with diverse cultural backgrounds from low income families.