“One of our goals is to bring current culinary trends into the Library for these workshops, which we hope will get kids excited about cooking and making food for themselves,” Laurent said. “We’re providing everything they need to make their own materials to build their own charcuterie board, which I think will be really fun for them.”

The workshops will be led by Delgado Culinary Arts instructors, with help from their students, providing a direct outlet for teens to ask questions about what working in the field or going to culinary school is like.

“Throughout the classes, we’ll be talking about our program, but also more generally, all the things you can do in the field,” Laurent said. “Not everyone who goes into the culinary field wants to be a chef. You can own your own business, you can manage restaurants, you can do food sciences – there’s tons of options.”

Amy Wander is the head of youth programming at the Library and said working with Delgado Culinary Arts for events like Teen Kitchen Throwdown directly aligns with the Library’s 10-year strategic plan.

“A major pillar of our strategic plan is to create unique learning opportunities that help us engage, serve, and empower teens and tweens through innovative programming,” Wander said. “By bringing Delgado Culinary Arts instructors into our Library locations, we’re meeting youth where they’re at, exposing them to new opportunities, and helping them make connections to higher education and career options.”

Wander partnered with Delgado to host a similar program in the past and said she’s excited to welcome them back this spring.

“It’s always so wonderful to see youth test out potential career opportunities through a fun, unique experience in the Library,” Wander said. “And at its core, that’s what this is.”