Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato
“You could see the joy and fun each kid was having,” Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato said.
By Forum Staff
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and national non-profit Common Threads recently joined forces to help bring an afterschool cooking program to PS 317 in Rockaway Park.
According to Pheffer Amato, each participating 4th and 5th grade student directly takes part in making the food. They start by chopping and stirring the ingredients, followed by learning about the country where the food is from, and the program ends by having a healthy meal together. The theme of that week’s class was Italy and the students learned not only about the food, but some fun facts about the country and culture. The students were broken up into different stations and mixed the sauce, chopped the onions and carrots, washed the lettuce—taking the lead on most of the critical steps in creating a meal.
Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato
The 4th and 5th grade students directly participated in making the food.
“You could see the joy and fun each kid was having,” Pheffer Amato said. The assemblywoman is responsible for bringing the program to PS 317 by allocating funding. “This shows why afterschool activities are critical and the impact it has on students. Education can occur not just in the classroom, but through alternative routes like after school programs and hands-on activities. At such a young age they are learning how to cook healthy options, work together and learn about another culture. These are life skills that will stick with them as they continue to grow and that is truly wonderful to see,” Pheffer Amato added.
“We are so grateful to receive funding from Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato. The impact from those dollars allows us to continue servicing children within the Queens community. Our Cooking Skills and World Cuisine classes provide cooking and nutrition education as life skills that encourage our students to adopt healthier habits,” said Abby Batista, NYC senior program manager for Common Threads. “Without the support from Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato, these classes simply would not be possible.”
Common Threads NYC serves all five boroughs and is currently in 59 schools/community-based organizations.
