Buffalo State’s Kitchen Confidence Camp empowers local high school students

Local Akron High School student Alexander Parisi was disappointed when remote learning deprived him of a home education class.

“It was shut down during COVID and never replaced,” Parisi said, “which is ironic because kids became homebodies for those three years.” 

With the support of a teacher who was willing to teach the class and signatures from almost his entire grade level, Parisi petitioned for the class to be brought back, but it was not reinstated. But recently, he had the opportunity to get the culinary education he desired, thanks to Buffalo State’s inaugural Kitchen Confidence Camp, led by the Continuing Professional Studies Office (CPS).

CPS director Kristin Fields heard Parisi’s story when she encountered his mother at a networking event. She thought, “What happens when all those kids go to college and have to fill their mini fridges? Are they going to know how to make good choices?” Her wheels began turning on how Buffalo State could help.

“These are the kinds of things the Continuing Professional Studies Office is built for,” Fields said. “We’re like an incubator space for the campus. There is this need, we have this idea—can we do something with it?”

In this case, the answer was yes. After speaking with faculty members from different programs, Fields confirmed there was enthusiasm for the idea, and Kitchen Confidence Camp was born.

Ten students from six different high schools—including Parisi—spent a week on campus in Buffalo State’s classrooms and Caudell Hall Meal Management Lab. In the mornings, they learned nutrition from Elizabeth Hartz, lecturer in the Hospitality, Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Department, and in the afternoons, they learned kitchen safety and practiced basic skills like chopping and sautéing with Campus House kitchen supervisor Jacob Koithan.

“The students are learning from experts in the field,” Fields added. “Our faculty brings real-world experience to the classroom. This is also great exposure for our campus, to introduce students to the culinary lab they may not have known was here, while also learning how to prepare healthy meals for themselves.”

In preparation for the camp, Hartz reviewed the Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum students would have gotten in middle and high school in hopes of filling the gap. 

“Nutrition education in school is limited, and students are barely taught about how to take care of themselves nutritionally,” Hartz said. “They do get some of this from FACS classes but it is such a short module. I’m hoping that the knowledge gained during this camp helps them understand how their body works in order to maintain health through food and nutrition.”

On Thursday, the camp took a field trip to Tops Friendly Markets, where management gave a tour while Hartz offered guidance on reading and interpreting nutrition labels. Tops also provided a $500 gift card to the camp so students could purchase ingredients to be used in Friday’s demonstration.

“We love sponsoring hands-on programs that inspire young adults to build confidence in the kitchen,” said Courtney Mailhot, manager, community relations for Tops Markets.  “The Kitchen Confidence Camp is a wonderful way to introduce students to culinary skills and healthy cooking, and we’re especially proud that they’ll be using fresh ingredients from Tops to bring their creativity to life.”

Koithan worked with the students to develop ideas for the camp’s concluding demonstration, during which they prepared a series of small plates and gave a presentation on what they’d learned for invited guests. 

“Food and cooking play such a broad role in everyone's lives,” Koithan said. “They can mean many different things to different people, but it's something we all share.”

It’s safe to say Parisi agrees.

“These programs prove invaluable for young college kids who prefer variety in their meals,” Parisi said. “Thank you, Buff State, for not only giving me the opportunity, but also for giving like-minded kids the opportunity as well.”