Afterschool Cooking Classes
Afterschool cooking classes are the bread and butter of AtoZ. Each week, we roll our mobile kitchen carts and baskets of fresh ingredients into 20+ elementary and middle school classes throughout Santa Barbara County for hands-on cooking lessons. Our 8–12 week programs feature delicious, nutritious, seasonal recipes that introduce kids to new flavors, ingredients, and techniques while building confidence in the kitchen. Our approach is simple: We cook together (real cooking, with real stoves), we eat together (napkins on laps!), and we clean up together (not just the plate you ate from, but aaaaall the dishes!).
Our Teaching Philosophy
Cook Together
It’s never too early to get kids in the kitchen! We spark their curiosity by letting them feel the knobby texture of a ginger root, smell fragrant cumin straight from the spice jar, and taste new ingredients along the way. We start with simple tasks like washing lettuce and peeling carrots, then work our way up to safely using the stove and oven and practicing basic knife skills—the “claw,” “pancake,” and “bridge” cuts are our go-tos. As their skills and confidence grow, we keep layering on the responsibilities (and the flavors!).
Eat Together
We always sit down to enjoy the meal, and our shared company. We set the table (real silverware, real linens!) and then practice our “1-2-3”s before digging in:
Napkins on laps
Make sure everyone has been served
Thank the chef(s)
Bon appetit!
Clean Up Together
Kids love showing that they can take on grown-up responsibilities, and cleanup is part of every class. We work together to leave our kitchen just as clean as we found it: washing and drying dishes, wiping down tables, gathering dirty linens, and putting everything back in its place. There’s a job for everyone! Just like with cooking, we start with simple tasks and gradually add more responsibility as kids build their skills and independence.
Believe it or not, sometimes kids have just as much fun cleaning up as they do cooking!
Bring AtoZ to Your Child’s School!
If we're not yet at your child's school, we'd love to be. Please have your school's principal, PTA president, office manager, or other decision-maker fill out this interest form so we can be in touch.
Fall 2026 School Partners: Adams, Brandon, Hollister, Laguna Blanca, Montecito Union, Peabody, Riviera Ridge, Vieja Valley, Washington
