Give A Crock cooking classes have helped students find confidence in the kitchen since 2015

Culinary Instructor and Chef Mona demonstrates the proper grip for holding a knife to a student during a Give A Crock class. 

Keontae Baker, 18, stands at a table along the prep line in La Soupe’s basement, lining sheet pans with large russet potatoes to be baked in the oven, which will then be turned into meals for those in Cincinnati facing food insecurity. 

Like most teenagers, he has not always felt comfortable preparing food for others—or himself, for that matter.

“One time, my brother and I tried to make a three-ingredient peanut butter brownie recipe,” he said, chuckling. “It did not go well. It all stuck to the pan.”

Then, in his junior and senior years at Aiken High School, his teacher, Aaron Parker, enrolled him in La Soupe’s educational program, Give A Crock. This six-week program, taught in schools and community partners by La Soupe’s trained culinary instructors, shows students the basics of cooking–how to measure ingredients, how to properly use a chef’s knife, and most importantly, how to create enjoyable food from scratch.

How It Began

Give A Crock works with about 120 students, aged 12 to 18 years old, across 10 schools and community partners each year.

La Soupe’s Give A Crock began 10 years ago after a few Oyler High School students inquired about having a cooking class, said Kristen St. Clair, who launched La Soupe’s Culinary Education pillar. The program became more official as time went on, but the mission stayed the same: to teach students basic cooking skills and inspire them to continue cooking in their kitchens.

“A big part of what we do is hire teachers who not only know how to cook, but also how to connect and engage with the students,” St. Clair said. “You can’t teach students if they aren’t interested. Building excitement about getting into the kitchen is really what we are doing.”

The Give A Crock program includes a variety of culinary skills to allow the students to become confident in many cooking methods. During the six-week program, four classes include slow cooker recipes. Participants get a slow cooker of their own to continue cooking after the program ends.

“We strive to offer an engaging learning experience similar to that modeled in traditional home cooking with a family member,” said Corinna Asbury, Education Director at La Soupe. “Our team does an amazing job creating a welcoming space where students can try new flavors while building upon basic cooking knowledge they may either already know or have newly learned by taking our classes.”

LaToya Bridgeman, Educational Manager at La Soupe, added that each week is dedicated to desired learning outcomes: week one teaches students about basic cooking, and week two focuses more on knife skills disguised as creating salsa dishes. Week three, students learn to cook with a slow cooker.  

Week four, they work with herbs and species. Week five, they work with ratios and improvise with what they have on hand. In the final week, students work on complex recipes, learning to measure and read the entire recipe.

“Ultimately, we want our students walking away with more confidence in their cooking skills and to realize the benefits of self-reliance, better nutrition, lower cost, and less food waste when cooking for themselves and their families,” Asbury said.

Keontae Baker, right, a 2025 cooking intern and two-time graduate of Give A Crock, makes sandwiches with rescued food alongside La Soupe volunteers.

In Baker’s case, they reached this outcome. In Give a Crock, Baker learned to make a chicken quesadilla, now one of his favorite dishes. 

“I learned how to cook one at Give A Crock, and it was amazing. I keep making it again,” he said. He added that he uses his slow cooker about twice a month, making food for his friends and family.

This program is intentionally different from most cooking classes. 

“Many cooking classes, especially for children, have ingredients already measured out, and there’s little room for creativity,” St. Clair said. “We’ve pushed against that because that’s not cooking. We are teaching our students how to cook, not just following simple steps. “We are teaching about the joy of cooking.”

Baker joined La Soupe as a summer intern in 2025 before going to the University of Cincinnati to study nursing. He loves working with others to create meals, but he’s ready for the next chapter, slow cooker in tow.

“I loved Give a Crock because I was able to learn to make food that I will make while I’m in college and beyond,” Baker said.

Interested in bringing the Give A Crock program to your school or giving a gift of support? Reach out to Corinna@lasoupe.org.