Cooking Up Learning

Home
United States
Chattanooga, TN
Cooking Up Learning

Integrative culinary program for elementary students and the community to engage, inspire, & feed!

08/05/2026

🌟Community partners, this one’s for you. ❤️

One of the greatest strengths of Cooking Up Learning isn’t found in the Culinary Lab… it’s found in the incredible people who walk through its doors. Whether you’re a chef, farmer, entrepreneur, historian, artisan, author, scientist, business owner, or someone who simply has cherished family recipes and food traditions passed down through generations, your experiences help my students discover that learning extends far beyond a textbook. You spark curiosity, build confidence, create real-world connections, and inspire students to imagine what their own futures might hold.

As I begin planning for the 2026–2027 school year, I’m inviting both returning and new community partners to complete a short availability form. Your responses will help me create meaningful experiences that fit your schedule and our instructional calendar. I’ll follow up later with details about specific opportunities and scheduling.

Thank you for believing in the mission of Cooking Up Learning and for investing in more than 500 Battle Academy students. Together, let’s make this our biggest, most impactful year yet. 🍎🥄💚

Survey link in comments!

07/31/2026

Thank you so much to the mystery shopper who donated some incredible new additions to the culinary lab! I’m so appreciative!! 🤩❤️

07/27/2026

✨ The countdown to a new school year is on!

As I prepare for another incredible year of Cooking Up Learning at Battle Academy, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported my Culinary Lab Wishlist. Every donation, book, kitchen tool, and more makes a lasting impact on the learning and confidence of my young chefs.

If you’ve been thinking about helping, there’s still time! Every gift, big or small, helps create meaningful, hands-on learning experiences for my PreK–5th grade students.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/13QV4HH8ARNC7?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for believing in my students and helping me cook up another amazing year! ❤️

07/20/2026

The temperatures are high… and so are the goals for another year of Cooking Up Learning!

As preparations for another incredible year of Cooking Up Learning at Battle Academy commence, I’m getting ready to mentor, inspire, teach, and feed a new group of PreK–5th grade young chefs—while welcoming back many familiar faces!

If you’d like to help stock the Culinary Lab, this Amazon Wishlist is filled with supplies that make these hands-on learning experiences possible.

Link-
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/13QV4HH8ARNC7?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for helping me cook up an amazing school year! ❤️

Bonus: Interested in being a community partner for the upcoming school year? Know anyone that would be a perfect fit? Want to support more? Message me and let’s get in contact!

07/15/2026

As the founder of Cooking Up Learning, I’m incredibly honored to be recognized as one of Chattanooga’s Top 20 Under 40 by . As an elementary educator, I have the privilege of helping shape tomorrow’s leaders from the very beginning through hands-on learning. I’m grateful to be recognized alongside 19 inspiring leaders who are all working to make Chattanooga even stronger. ✨✨

06/25/2026

🎨🍎 Summer Reach 2026: The Art of Food 🍎🎨

What happens when Cooking Up Learning meets art? Something truly magnificent!

Inspired by the book The Most Magnificent Thing, students spent five days exploring how creativity, perseverance, and imagination can transform ordinary materials into extraordinary works of art. Through this hands-on Project-Based Learning experience, students discovered that the kitchen isn’t just a place for cooking—it’s also a place for innovation, experimentation, and creative expression.

Throughout the week, students painted with produce such as broccoli and celery to explore texture, patterns, and printmaking. They became scientists and artists as they created “magic ink” using turmeric and baking soda, observing chemical reactions while creating colorful works of art. Students practiced mindfulness, observation, and patience through still-life drawings, learning that slowing down and paying attention to details can help bring their ideas to life. They also designed unique pasta mosaics, using different shapes and sizes to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces while exploring design, composition, and problem-solving.

While the projects were fun and engaging, the learning ran much deeper. Each activity challenged students to think creatively, embrace mistakes, revise their work, and persevere when their ideas didn’t go as planned. Just as chefs experiment with ingredients to create new recipes, artists experiment with materials to create something meaningful. By blending art and food, students discovered that both disciplines require curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to try again.

The result? A week filled with creativity, laughter, exploration, and countless magnificent creations. I may not know every student’s story, but I do know that each one left with a smile on their face, a sense of pride in their work, and a newfound appreciation for how everyday kitchen items can become something truly extraordinary.

✨ Because sometimes the most magnificent things begin with imagination, perseverance, and a little creativity in the kitchen.

😎☀️🤗

06/22/2026

Orlando, here I come! 🚙💨 Sharing how culinary integration can engage students, build connections, and bring learning to life…on a national stage!

05/24/2026

Momentous Monday … a summer flashback! 😎

My fourth graders were reading The Hope Chest, and one of my favorite part of is finding ways to connect curriculum content with culinary integration. Naturally, this lesson led us into women’s suffrage … and, of course, food became part of the story.

A huge thank you to Eva Camp ( )— female entrepreneur, mother, wife, and business owner — for helping bring this lesson to life. If you have not visited Screen Door Kitchen in Dayton, Tennessee, it is absolutely delicious and so worth the trip!

During this lesson, my students made “Unity Fudge,” inspired by the pretzel fudge commonly made during the suffrage movement. American suffragists often used baked goods and sweets as strategic tools for political organizing. Women sold fudge and homemade treats at fundraising bazaars and in “suffrage shops” to raise money for campaigns, distribute literature, and connect with voters in ways society deemed acceptable at the time.

Suffragists also created community cookbooks filled with traditional recipes alongside bold arguments for women’s voting rights … using kitchens and baking as spaces for activism, courage, and change.

We added pretzels to our fudge to symbolize the twists and turns women endured to have their voices heard politically and socially. What looked like a simple dessert quickly became a meaningful conversation about perseverance, unity, resilience, and the power of using your voice.

These are the kinds of momentous moments in education that remind me learning is most powerful when students can taste it, touch it, and truly connect to it. 🤍

What other memories will this summer recall?

05/06/2026

At its core, Cooking Up Learning is grounded in a simple but powerful belief —> students learn best by doing. Integrating culinary experiences across content areas deepens engagement while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and real-world application.

That belief came to life at the 2026 Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit, where my nearly packed session (close to 100 educators from across the state) created a vibrant, engaged learning environment. The energy in the room reflected a shared commitment to exploring innovative, hands-on approaches and left with inspiration for bringing this work into their own classrooms.

Conferences like this play a vital role in amplifying Cooking Up Learning: creating space to connect, collaborate, and expand experiential learning across schools and communities.

I’m excited to share that all of this work has been accepted for presentation at the ISTE/ASCD Conference in Orlando this summer. This next step extends my passion project to a national stage…once again!

The opportunity to continue sharing and growing this work reinforces the importance of connection, innovation, and “cooking up” meaningful learning experiences for all students.

❤️ I love my job. I love my students. And I love this opportunity to spread my passion to whoever wants to listen!

05/06/2026

It takes a community to bring learning to life…and we are incredibly grateful for our amazing partner, Aubie Smith Farms (), for doing just that! 🍓🌱

Through their generous donation of farm-fresh, ruby red strawberries, our students were able to experience true farm-to-table learning…connecting classroom lessons to local agriculture, sustainability, and the people who make it all possible.

Our 1st grade ornithologists used these strawberries to create a “human version of suet”—a frozen yogurt bark topped with berries, seeds, and granola—while learning how food supports birds and wildlife in our community. 🐦

In 2nd grade, strawberries became the star of our pollinator studies, as students explored how bees and other pollinators impact our global food supply. Their hands-on creation? A fresh and flavorful strawberry cucumber salsa: colorful, crisp, and perfect for summer! 🐝🥒

By 4th grade, strawberries helped bring history to life during a Women’s Suffrage tea party. Students thoughtfully prepared delicate finger sandwiches—cucumber dill and strawberry mint cream cheese—while sipping warm lemon herbal tea and learning how food has long played a role in bringing people together during times of activism and change. ☕✨

Because of community partners like Aubie Smith Farms, these lessons go beyond textbooks. They plant seeds of appreciation for local farmers, agricultural experts, and the importance of supporting those who nourish our communities.

We are deeply thankful for their generosity, dedication, and willingness to invest in hundreds of students…creating meaningful experiences that will last for years to come. 💛

Address

1601 S Market St
Chattanooga, TN
37408

Website

https://www.cookinguplearning.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cooking Up Learning posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Cooking Up Learning:

Featured

The Blackbird Academy
2806 Azalea Place, Nashville

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in Chattanooga?

Cooking Up Learning

08/05/2026

07/31/2026

07/27/2026

07/20/2026

07/15/2026

06/25/2026

06/22/2026

05/24/2026

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The School

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category

Listing takedown request