Nazareth Prep Students Explore the World of Cuisine with Delicious New Course Offering
In the first phase of our Pathways of Promise Campaign, Nazareth Prep added a state of the art culinary classroom to the first floor of the main building. The goal of Pathways of Promise is to expand academic and extracurricular offerings for Nazareth Prep students to build both the hard and soft skills they’ll need for lifelong leadership. Adding a dedicated culinary classroom and hiring a new culinary arts teacher are important steps in expanding our students’ exposure to different skills and career pathways.
Our new culinary arts teacher, Ms. Corey S. Flynn, holds an associate degree in dietetics and nutrition, a bachelor’s degree in journalism and photography, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in education, among several other degrees and certifications. Ms. Flynn is also teaching sustainability cooking classes at Phipps Conservatory and a sustainable food systems course at the University of Pittsburgh.
“My main objective is for the students to feel comfortable and confident in their cooking abilities,” says Ms. Flynn. “I would like for them to see all of the wonders of food—the science of food, that food is art, that it nourishes and comforts, and that it creates memories and brings back memories.”
Culinary classes started at the end of January and include basic culinary skills, access to a culinary library, and elements of literature, poetry, nutrition, and sustainability. Longtime corporate partners Highmark Health and Giant Eagle helped to get the program off the ground with donations to support the cost of an oven hood and of food supplies for the class, respectively.
“The first day of class was fantastic!” says Ms. Flynn. “The students were very interested, engaged, and everyone participated. I was very impressed with the skills they already have, which is going to make all of the recipes so much more fun because we can jump right into cooking.”
In addition to two Friday classes, one for sophomores and one for juniors, students will have the opportunity to attend a bi-weekly afterschool “pop-up” club open to all grade levels. We are excited to offer this new opportunity to Nazareth Prep’s students and look forward to seeing (and smelling) the delicious dishes they will cook up in class!
