Each year since 2008, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum has been hosting its Kids Culinary Camp, the only one of its kind in the New Orleans area.  Twenty-five children aged 7-11 years old are accepted each week for five weeks for the half-day long program, which focuses on teaching confidence in the kitchen.  Camp takes place in our Rouses Culinary Innovation Center by Jenn-Air (complete with kid-friendly induction burners!). Each week, campers participate in food - themed crafts, history lessons, outdoor activities, food preparation lessons and even serve and eat a lunch that they make themselves! The camp's goal is to create an experience that teaches nutritional literacy holistically, but focuses on keeping food fun. There are weekly themes such as Southern cooking, holidays, or (healthy!) fast food. Campers divide into five teams and participate in food preparation and construction. One team is responsible each day for setting the table and plating the food. The team structure contributes to a strong sense of security by allowing kids to explore and taste new foods, while simultaneously creating a bond with their table/teammates.  By learning basic kitchen skills in a fun environment, surrounded by their peers, kids start to engage in a whole new way in their own homes! We're already looking forward to our next camp. If you would like more information please contact Jennie Merrill, Director of Education, or visit our website.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) strives to inspire people of all backgrounds to connect to Czech and Slovak history and culture by intertwining food, family, and heritage. The new Heritage Garden builds on the history of many immigrants from the Czech and Slovak regions who travelled to the United States with seeds from their homeland. Gardens were cultivated using these seeds, and families were then able to savor familiar tastes from home. The Heritage Garden uses organic gardening practices and select Czech and Slovak heritage seeds to help new generations understand what life was like for those early immigrants who settled in this country. Visitors to the NCSML's garden project are also able to learn how to start a pesticide-free home garden; learn about soil health and compost; and have opportunities to taste real heritage vegetables and fruits.