Four UYI students participated in the South Florida Fair Culinary Experience Exhibit with our Family and Consumer Science Coordinator, Neva Quintana. They were able to showcase what they learned in their "Creative Cooking" and " Art of Baking" Classes offered here at Urban Youth Impact through our SMART Program (Science Meets Art).
Children from the audience were selected to participate in the cooking and baking demos, while our UYI students guided them along the way. Two students from The Leadership Academy and one student from our Stonybrook satellite location, led the cooking demonstration successfully making a Tex-Mex Zucchini Skillet. Our students were the teachers that night, showcasing several techniques that included, slicing, dicing, and trimming raw poultry.
During the demo there was also a segment of baking where the students made a delicious buttery pecan Amish cake. Following a recipe, they were able to show off their skills in both dry and wet measuring each ingredient. While leading the demos, our students were elated to engage with audience members telling them all about Urban Youth Impact and the SMART program. With an overwhelming response from the crowd, thanking and commending our students for a job well done they were invited back for another appearance!
Through our SMART program, the Leadership Academy is where our student can participate in areas of interest such as cooking, music, the arts, sciences and more. Participating in these classes, children have the opportunity to improve academically and build greater self-esteem.
Neva Quintana has played a major role in the SMART program to provide a platform for creative education and has truly been an inspiration to her students that through Christ all things are possible.
Neva’s passion for teaching children about cooking and baking was birthed out of her large family, where food became a major catalyst for bringing her family together. After being granted her position at Urban Youth Impact, the Family and Consumer Science department was born. Because of her braveness to pursue the board at Urban Youth for the program, the children she serves have been encouraged to dream big just as she has done.