25/09/2026
What began as a weekly cooking session, a practical way for students in the Options course at NLN Portlaoise to build independent living skills, grew into one of the most vibrant learner‑driven projects of the year.
The World Cuisine Project is more than an e‑cookbook. It’s a story of teamwork, confidence, creativity, and the joy of discovering what happens when students take the lead. It also reflects the spirit of 'Think Possible', a mindset the students brought to every stage of the journey, turning a simple cooking class into a creative, learner‑led project that exceeded all expectations.
Each Thursday, the class explored a new country through food. They researched recipes, planned shopping trips, checked equipment, and even grew their own ingredients. Adam tended garlic shoots, avocados and cress with great care. Myke invented the now‑famous Options Seasoning Mix when the class realised they had no steak seasoning. The group adapted recipes when needed, switching sushi rolls to sushi balls, turning garlic shoots into pasta, and improvising when ingredients were missing. These choices weren’t just culinary decisions; they were moments of problem‑solving, collaboration, and learner agency, a natural expression of Universal Design for Learning in action.
The project became a showcase of individual strengths. Josh took responsibility for typing and formatting recipes. Katie wrote the introduction that welcomes readers into the cookbook. Martin designed the entire e‑cookbook, bringing together photos, layout and colour. Jasmine curated a photo display documenting the group’s progress. Quentin led a fairy bread workshop during the final presentation. Adam grew ingredients and presented the gardening process to guests. Their reflections throughout the cookbook show pride, humour and honesty from “Grating the potatoes was weird, but in a fun way” to “It is nice to invent something original.”
Cooking together became a safe, structured way to practise communication, teamwork and community participation. The class took bus trips to the library and supermarket, learned to divide tasks, and supported one another in the kitchen. For autistic learners, these experiences helped build confidence and independence in a natural, enjoyable way.
As the students wrote, “Working closely together as a team and participating in our local community helped improve our independent living skills.”
Throughout the project, students also practised negotiation and assertiveness skills; during the final presentation and the launch of the e‑cookbook, guests were able to watch short role‑play videos showcasing these skills in action.
The final product is a colourful, learner‑designed e‑cookbook featuring eleven recipes from around the world, complete with photos, swaps, reflections and homegrown ingredients.
The closing message says it best: “We hope this e‑cookbook can offer the chance to explore some of those countries through cooking.”
The project concluded with a presentation day featuring workshops, displays and a celebration with families, students and staff. It was a moment for the students to stand proudly and say: "We made this". And they truly did: every recipe, every photo, every idea, every decision.
Check out the book here:
https://online.anyflip.com/ysibi/itfk/mobile/index.html
National Learning Network Portlaoise
