THIRD APPLICANT
APPLICANT NAME:
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SECOND APPLICANT
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ADDITIONAL APPLICANTS?
No Additional Applicants
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL EMAIL ADDRESS:
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FULL NAME:
Katie Caughron
APPLICANT SCHOOL NAME:
Brockland Learning Center
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APPLICANT MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
5806471932
APPLICANT NAME:
Shaelynn Jones
APPLICANT INFORMATION
APPLICATION SUBMISSION DATE & TIME:
September 2, 2026 at 2:01:51 PM
APPLICATION CURRENT STATUS:
Little Chefs, Big Learning: A Hands-On Cooking Lab
NAVIGATION
GRANT APPLICATION: DETAILS
FOURTH APPLICANT
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PROPOSAL INFORMATION
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Cooking has been a meaningful part of my classroom instruction for years. My students have made strawberry shortcake for letter Ss, milkshakes for letter Mm, and cupcakes for letter Cc, but they have also made homemade applesauce and apple pie on Jonny Appleseed day, Vampire (Tomato) Soup and Grilled Cheese for Halloween, roasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin cheesecake during our pumpkin unit, Stone Soup and trail mix for Thanksgiving, pancakes and homemade hot chocolate at Christmas, ice cream in May, and many other recipes. I work to closely connect these activities to our curriculum units for more meaningful classroom learning. However, each cooking experience currently begins with me loading a wagon with supplies from home, such as griddles, crockpots, mixing bowls, spoons, measuring tools, knives, and other kitchen equipment, and hauling everything into my classroom for the activity. While I have found ways to continue providing these experiences, the equipment I currently have to use is designed for adults, not four- and five-year-old children. Saftey is my number one priority, and sinceI do not have child-safe cooking utensils, students are limited in how independently they can participate. During a typical cooking activity, students gather around our classroom table where they can smell and touch ingredients, help measure and pour, make observations, and watch as a recipe comes together, but tasks such as cutting, peeling, preparing ingredients in the cooking process must be completed by an adult which disengages them, and takes away the independence I am trying to foster.
This is how I came up with the idea for Little Chefs, Big Learning: A Hands-On Cooking Lab.
This is an initiative that will provide learning experiences through a classroom cooking lab equipped specifically for young children. The students will use age-appropriate recipes to explore early math, science, literacy, nutrition, culture, and practical life skills in an engaging and meaningful way. Cooking instinctively provides opportunities to count, measure, sequence, follow directions, make predictions, observe changes, build vocabulary, and work cooperatively with others.
Funding a dedicated cooking lab would change these experiences from primarily observational activities into true hands-on learning opportunities. Child-safe knives, peelers, cutting boards, measuring tools, mixing utensils, appropriately sized equipment, and other supplies readily available would allow students to take an active role in preparing food while learning safe and responsible practices. Instead of simply watching their teacher cut an apple or prepare a vegetable, students could safely experience the process themselves. For young children, that difference is significant as they learn best when they are able to touch, manipulate, explore, and actively participate.
A cooking lab would also provide opportunities that extend far beyond traditional academic skills. Many young children have had limited exposure to foods outside of what is familiar within their own homes. Through intentionally selected recipes, students could explore new fruits, vegetables, ingredients, foods, cultural traditions, and food preparation practices in a positive and low-pressure environment. They could smell, touch, prepare, and taste foods they may never have encountered before while learning that families and cultures around the world prepare and enjoy food in many different ways. These shared experiences can encourage curiosity, openness to trying new foods, appreciation for differences, and meaningful conversations about students' own families and traditions.
Most importantly, this project would create a sustainable resource for all of our early childhood students. Currently, cooking experiences depend heavily on a teacher's willingness and ability to supply and transport personal kitchen equipment from home. A dedicated cooking lab would keep developmentally appropriate materials at school, making these experiences safer, more accessible, and easier to incorporate intentionally into instruction for all of our PreK classes, not just my own.
Little Chefs, Big Learning would allow our students to move from standing around the table watching the cooking happen to becoming the little chefs doing the work. Through measuring, mixing, cutting, peeling, preparing, tasting, sharing, and discovering together, students will build academic skills, fine-motor development, independence, confidence, teamwork, cultural awareness, and practical skills they can carry with them far beyond the Pre-K classroom. I love creating magical, beautiful moments for my students through real world experiences, and this grant would truly help me do this.
PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW YOU WILL DETERMINE IF THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE ACHIEVED SUCCESSFULLY:
The objectives of Little Chefs, Big Learning will be evaluated through teacher observation, student participation, photographs/work samples, and simple skill-based checklists completed throughout the project. Because this project serves Pre-K students, success will be measured through developmentally appropriate demonstrations of growth rather than traditional pen to paper assessments.
For example, teachers will observe students during cooking experiences and document their ability to independently participate in age-appropriate tasks such as measuring, pouring, stirring, cutting with child-safe utensils, peeling, following a sequence of steps, and practicing safe kitchen procedures. Growth in academic skills will also be observed as students use counting, measurement, vocabulary, prediction, sequencing, and scientific observation during each experience.
Student willingness to explore unfamiliar foods will be another measure of success. Teachers will document students' participation in opportunities to smell, touch, prepare, and, when willing, taste new foods. Students will never be required to eat an unfamiliar food but rather success will be demonstrated through increased curiosity, participation, and willingness to explore foods, ingredients, and cooking practices from a variety of cultures and traditions.
The project will be considered successful if students demonstrate increased independence and participation in food preparation, increased use of academic vocabulary and concepts during cooking experiences, and increased willingness to explore unfamiliar foods and ingredients. Teachers can also reflect on the frequency and quality of cooking experiences compared with previous years, particularly whether access to child-safe, school-based equipment allows students to take a more active role in the cooking process.
Ultimately, I believe success will be visible in the shift from students primarily watching cooking experiences to students safely doing the measuring, mixing, peeling, cutting, preparing, exploring, and learning themselves. I predict students will feel important, and even have a sense of control and power that will lead to higher self confidence and their belief in themselves to be able to do hard things.
PROVIDE A SCHEDULE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR PROPOSED PROJECT:
Upon receiving grant funding, cooking lab materials will be purchased and organized for safe, accessible classroom use. Child-safe utensils and equipment will be introduced to students through lessons and demonstrations focused on kitchen safety, proper use of tools, handwashing, and food preparation procedures.
Cooking experiences will then be incorporated throughout the school year and aligned with current Pre-K curriculum themes, standards, literature, and seasonal learning opportunities. The anticipated implementation schedule is:
- Month 1 – Set Up & Safety: Purchase, organize, and prepare cooking lab materials. Introduce students to kitchen safety, hygiene, child-safe utensils, and basic cooking procedures.
- Months 2–3: Students practice foundational skills such as measuring, pouring, stirring, scooping, spreading, cutting with child-safe knives, and following simple recipe sequences.
- Months 4–6: Cooking activities will become increasingly student-led while connecting to classroom curriculum, science and math concepts, literature, seasonal topics, and new foods.
- Months 7–9 : Students will continue developing independence while exploring recipes, ingredients, foods, and food traditions from different families and cultures.
- Throughout the School Year: Teachers will document student participation, independence, use of cooking skills, academic connections, and willingness to explore unfamiliar foods through observation, photographs, and simple skill checklists.
- End of Year – Project Evaluation: Student growth and project effectiveness will be reviewed to determine successes and opportunities for future expansion.
Following the initial grant-funded purchase, the cooking lab equipment will remain available for continued use in future school years. Recipes and experiences can change based on curriculum themes and student interests, while the reusable equipment will allow the project to benefit new groups of Pre-K students each year.
PROJECT FUNDING
GRANT AMOUNT REQUESTED:
$600
PROVIDE AN ITEMIZED BUDGET FOR YOUR REQUESTED GRANT AMOUNT:
Two Class Sets of Aprons and Chef Hats: $28.99ea
Crockpot: $40
Griddle: $40
Utensils: $14
Electric Skillet: $50
Pot Holders and Oven Mits: $16
Gloves (Knife Safety): $10
Kids Knife Set: $35
Peelers for Kids: $8/ 2pc.. $80 for 20
Spices and Seaonings: $50 whole rack
Mixer with Bowls, Spoons, Measuring Cups: $36
Immersion Blender (think applesauce!): $25
Blender: $40
Ice Cream Scoop: $10
Dishwashing Basin and Sponges: $25
IF YOUR GRANT REQUEST CAN ONLY BE PARTIALLY FUNDED, WOULD YOU ACCEPT:
YES