Little Kitchen Academy Lincoln Park will be welcoming students into their first-of-its-kind Montessori-inspired cooking academy for children ages three through teen in early 2023. Little Kitchen Academy (LKA) is the key ingredient for an independent child. The LKA team provides a safe, inspiring, and empowering space for children to identify, develop, and refine their senses. Through joy, mindfulness, and learning, the LKA experience creates a foundation for a healthy lifespan through responsible eating choices: from scratch to consumption.
Located at 1131 W. Armitage Avenue in the thriving and family-friendly Lincoln Park neighborhood, Little Kitchen Academy provides local families with seasonal, year-round cooking class sessions organized by age group (ages 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13+ years old). Students experience a three-hour class once a week during the school year or over five consecutive days during Summer, Winter, & Spring breaks. Students learn how to make healthy, delicious, and seasonal meals from scratch to consumption—all while experimenting with math and science concepts, working on their reading skills, and polishing up their table manners by sharing meals around the LKA community table (made with more than 33,000 recycled chopsticks). Sessions are limited to just ten students and are overseen by three instructors. The curriculum focuses on seasonal, locally grown, and organic produce and ingredients. Students enjoy the fruits of their labor for a "scratch to consumption" experience at the end of each lesson. All students are welcome in this fully inclusive program, including those with learning or other disabilities. The program, which is nut, meat, poultry, and seafood free, also can accommodate those with gluten, dairy, or other allergies.
 |
LKA's Montessori-inspired environment is organized to support the growth and development of each child. Instructors show the students how to safely use tools but step back to closely observe the independent work, only stepping in when deemed appropriate. This approach enables students to learn at their own pace while they acquire practical life skills that foster independence, confidence, and socialization.
“Chicago families really value healthy living at all ages. We provide students with the opportunity to learn the critical life skill of preparing healthy meals for themselves and others,” said LKA Lincoln Park owner Rand Barba. “Our tagline is ‘changing lives from scratch,’ and that’s truly what we get to do at LKA. Students participate in every step of the process, from selecting their tools, measuring their ingredients, tasting, and making adjustments to recipes as needed. Our team meets each student where they are as an individual.” This first Chicago location is just the beginning. Little Kitchen Academy plans to open several locations throughout Illinois in the coming years as part of its expansion throughout markets in the United States.
For the latest updates about Little Kitchen Academy Lincoln Park and for more information on upcoming class registration opportunities, please join our email list and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
 |
