Project CHEF:
Cook Healthy Edible Food
Project CHEF Education Society is a not-for-profit society that offers experiential programs to teach children and families about healthy food, including:
Where food comes from
What it tastes like
How to prepare it
How to share it
During the Project CHEF program, classrooms and communities are transformed into kitchens and students explore the joy of food and cooking, from preparation to clean-up, learning valuable life-skills along the way.
Closure Statement
from Project CHEF Founder and Director, Barb Finley
After completing the Winter 2020 term of the Project CHEF program in Vancouver schools, COVID forced the closure of schools and our in-class and community programming. Consequently, in March 2020 our team transitioned and successfully moved much of our programming online. Our website is home to 100 recipes, over 40 learning activities, 10 instructional videos and a curated list of books to learn about food. This has enabled teachers, children, families, and other organizations to access these resources and we have made them freely available to the community on an ongoing basis. You can find a feast of food-related learning on our website and I encourage you to explore the many resources we have posted.
As a result of the continuing impact of the pandemic, in September 2021, we made the difficult decision to permanently suspend operations of Project CHEF. We are no longer offering our programs in schools or the community.
Since I began Project CHEF in 2007 it has been our mission to teach children the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy food choices and enable them to make wholesome, nutritious meals for themselves. 17,500 children later, it is still my fervent belief, which is supported by research, that this experiential approach influences children’s food choices and helps them to develop the skills to encourage healthy eating throughout their lives. My hope is that through Project CHEF’s online resources to support teachers and families, children will continue to learn to Cook Healthy Edible Food.
Bon Appetit!
Barb
Barb Finley
Founder and Director
Project CHEF Education Society
info@projectchef.ca
Project CHEF in Action
open mind, open mouth
children
gain knowledge and skills
During the Project CHEF program,
classrooms and communities are transformed into kitchens and children explore the joy of food and cooking, from preparation to clean-up, learning valuable life-skills along the way.
Healthy Meals
They discover the pleasure and satisfaction in creating healthy meals for themselves, and sharing those meals around a table with others
Experiential Learning
Designed to immerse children in the process of cooking, including learning about ingredients, following recipes, preparing food, cleaning up and enjoying a meal.
Life-Long Skills
They develop skills to make healthy food choices at home and the confidence to prepare healthy meals for themselves and other.