Fall Semester Life Skills Class: Connecting through Cooking

​Our focus at Berkeley High School this year is to help our students build a strong community in and out of our classrooms. Every week, during life skills class, our students plan, shop, and cook a different meal. Not only do they learn about meal planning and budgeting, but they get to connect and learn about different cultures and foods. The unique thing about this year's cooking class is that we have students of all backgrounds participating, including students who would not have engaged with each other otherwise, making jokes and sharing stories about their lives. 
 
To make sure our students are also building bridges with the greater BHS community, the CEC co-lead a fall community lunch that included other students, community members, and school staff. The students took their time planning what they were going to contribute, budgeted, and took a big trip to Costco to buy all the supplies they needed. Then, they ended the fall season by building bridges with the community outside of campus by learning about Native American foods and supporting Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, where they got a chance to have a meaningful conversation with a local organizer.
 
We look forward to making more memories and can't wait to see what delicious food our students cook this semester!

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Blog Post Written By: Lucero Torres, Assistant Director of School Partnerships