Cooking with the EAGLES

Tiger Giving Day is over, but you can still give to the EAGLES program here.

This Tiger Giving Day, the EAGLES students invite you to be the special ingredient to creating a dynamic, hands-on culinary learning experience for them.

The Education to Accomplish Growth in Life Experiences for Success program, better known as EAGLES, gives intellectually disabled students a two to four-year on-campus experience that prepares them for meaningful employment, and equips them with the life skills to live independently. Classes like “Meal Prep” and “Grocery Shopping” teach essential skills, and help students transition to an independent lifestyle by teaching them about nutrition and healthy food choices, meal planning, grocery shopping and, of course, how to prepare delicious food.  

Research shows that having a hands-on educational experience is the best way to teach skills like cooking. To facilitate this, we will be purchasing nine cooking sets—one for each EAGLE student in the “Meal Prep” and “Grocery Shopping” class. In this way, all can learn by doing at the same time.  

A complete Kitchen Tool Kit costs $247 and consists of a cutting board, peeler, chef’s knife, cut resistant gloves, measuring spoons, measuring cups, wooden spoons, whisk, tongs, non-stick frying pan, saucepan, sheet pan, spatula/fish turner, can opener, collapsible colander and a plastic bin to store the entire kitchen set.

All funds raised beyond the $2,300 goal will be used toward the purchase of an automatic, adjustable-height work table for the kitchen lab. A work surface with adjustable-height capability allows students to work at it while standing, and when lowered, accommodates students in wheelchairs.

Support for Cooking with EAGLES is more than helping a student learn to cook. You will be giving students the key to self-sufficiency and a future of independent living.