When you walk down the hallways of S.S. Seward Institute, there is one classroom that might make you hungry when you pass by! From smoothies to fried rice, our students are learning to cook an abundance of delicious meals. Along with delicious snacks, students also leave class with sewing skills, nutrition knowledge and career readiness. 

The goal of Family and Consumer Science is to give students the opportunity to develop an array of life skills. “Everything we do in here is new to our students, so they’re going to make mistakes,” said teacher Brittany Smith. “I try to ensure this is a safe and comfortable place for students to learn and explore. They have to be comfortable making mistakes before they can master a new skill…which is a mindset they can apply to anything.”

In middle school, students start by discussing what makes them special. They learn the importance of being mindful, respectful and helpful. Students are tasked with exploring what makes them a good friend and a good student. This builds confidence and independence, traits that come in handy when they are in the kitchen learning how to make themselves snacks and small meals. By eighth grade, students are delving into career exploration, sorting out what their passions and interests are, and how they can channel them into their future plans.

High school students get to choose which topics they want to cover. They can take classes ranging from food science to childhood development courses. In past years, students have taken trips to Golden Hill Elementary to help with the younger students and Little Italy in Manhattan to try a variety of different foods.

On Tuesday, Sept. 30, one class wrote their own recipes for and baked biscuits. Students shared that they have made many of the recipes from class at home and have felt confident to keep trying and experimenting with new things.