The CookWELL Kitchen is a unique teaching space designed to encourage healthy food choices, preferences, and attitudes by teaching skills to create nutritious and delicious dishes.

Programs focus on basic kitchen safety, nutrition, and making simple healthy snacks and meals. Programs are led by ServSafe-trained professionals.

The CookWELL Kitchen can comfortably accommodate up to 16 people and has four workstations.

Select programs may be offered in Spanish. Please inquire directly about availability.

Programs are available at the Poe Center’s CookWELL Kitchen, virtually, and under some circumstances at offsite locations with proper space and equipment. Please contact Lauren McCallum for details, rates, and availability. You may also call (919) 231-4006.

As a proud recipient of the SNAP-Ed grant, the Poe Center is able to provide intensive nutrition and physical activity programming to many low-income populations in North Carolina.

Religious protections for USDA program beneficiaries.

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  • Snacktivity (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: Kindergarten1st Grade2nd Grade3rd Grade4th Grade5th Grade

    Participants will learn how to build a healthy snack through hands-on kitchen experience, a food tasting, and a MyPlate lesson. This introductory program covers basic kitchen safety and etiquette. After this lesson, participants will be able to prepare a nutritious snack at home.

    Maximum capacity of 16 participants per program. Only available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen.


    Recommended ages:: Ages 5-11 (grades K-5th)
    Program Length: 30-45 minutes
    Grades K-2
    • K.PCH.1.1
    • 1.NPA.1.1
    • 1.NPA.2.1
    • 2.NPA.1.1
    • 2.NPA.1.2

  • Muffin Mystery (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: 3rd Grade4th Grade5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade

    Participants take part in a tasty STEM experiment as they use the scientific method to prepare blueberry muffins and complete a blind taste test. Activities include developing a hypothesis on how substitutions may impact a recipe, preparing a recipe, and evaluating and analyzing the results in this hands-on cooking experiment.  

    Maximum capacity of 10-16 participants per program. Only available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen.  

    Recommended ages: Ages 8 – 14 (grades 3rd-8th)
    Program Length: 2 hours
      • 8.NPA.2.1: Summarize the benefits of consuming adequate amounts of micronutrients and water in a variety of foods.
     

  • Cooking with MyPlate (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: 4th Grade5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade9th Grade10th Grade11th Grade12th Grade

    Participants work together in the kitchen to prepare a tasty recipe that features all 5 food groups, focusing on healthy cooking strategies, MyPlate, and basic kitchen safety. Participants will discover the link between culture and food, and how to modify a recipe to suit personal preference and add in extra nutrients.

    Maximum capacity of 10-16 participants per program.
    Only available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen.

    Participants: Ages 10 – 18 (grades 4th-12th)
    Program Length: 2 hours


    Grades 3-5
    • 4.NPA.1.2
    • 5.NPA.2.1
    Grades 6-8
    • 6.NPA.1.3
    Grades 9-12
    • 9.NPA.2.1
     

  • Food Smarts (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: 4th Grade5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade9th Grade10th Grade11th Grade12th GradeAdults

    Participants gain skills to support healthy behavior change, as well as learn a simple recipe a with a tasting and optional demonstration. Topics may include setting the stage for healthy habits, incorporating whole foods, understanding food labels, smart strategies for shopping, food processing, and more. Food Smarts is a flexible, learner-centered cooking and nutrition curriculum developed by our partner Leah’s Pantry.

    Maximum capacity of 10-16 participants per program.
    Testing and demos available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen or offsite. Demos offered virtually.

    Recommended ages: Ages 10 – 18 (grades 4th-12th) and adults

    Program Length: 60 minutes

     

  • Food Smarts: Waste Reduction (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: 4th Grade5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade9th Grade10th Grade11th Grade12th GradeAdults

    Food Smarts: Waste Reduction is a workshop that builds on cooking and nutrition skills while reducing household food waste. Participants gain skills to support healthy behavior change, as well as learn a simple recipe with a tasting and optional demonstration. Topics may include food storage, stretching your produce, food preservation, repurposing ingredients, composting, and more. This program was developed by our partner Leah’s Pantry.

    Maximum capacity of 10-16 participants per program.
    Testing and demos available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen or offsite. Demos offered virtually.

    Recommended ages: Ages 10 – 18 (grades 4th-12th) and adults

    Program Length: 60 minutes

     

  • Battle of the Breads (16 participants max.)

    Schedule this program for: 6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade

    Participants take part in a tasty STEM experiment as they use the scientific method to prepare soda bread and complete a blind taste test. Activities include developing a hypothesis on how substitutions may impact a recipe, preparing a recipe, and evaluating and analyzing the results in this hands-on cooking experiment.

    Maximum capacity of 10-16 participants per program.
    Only available onsite at the Poe Center's CookWELL Kitchen.

    Recommended ages: Ages 11 – 14 (grades 6th-8th)

    Program Length: 2 hours

      • 8.NPA.2.1: Summarize the benefits of consuming adequate amounts of micronutrients and water in a variety of foods.