Nourishian - /ˈnəriSH(ə)n/ – noun: a person who nourishes themselves, theirfamily/community, and the land. Verb: the act of nourishing the body, mind,spirit, community and land through food, cultural expression, and reciprocalcare.
The Nourishian Training is a life skills training for young people ages18-24, offered as a summer intensive program over 6 weeks, July 8 – Aug 16,2024. The program will engage a cohort of 10 students through experiential learning in an outdoor classroom and kitchen located at the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland. The program is designed to provide young people critical skills and body awareness that support their holistic health through meal planning & budgeting, cooking skills, gardening, physical activity, and mental health tools. The goal of the Nourishian Training program is to promote individual health and community wellness through self-efficacy, nurturing relationships, and cultural expression.
The program is 4 days per week (M-Th), 9am – 3pm, and includes weekly field trips, guest speakers, and guest cooks representing different cultures. Students will be provided weekly boxes of seasonal produce from local BIPOC farms to take home and practice cooking at home. The last day will be a final celebration to highlight the students’ accomplishments through a community meal and an opportunity for students to teach forward what they learned in the program.
The Nourishian Culinary Educator will be responsible for leading the cooking education and meal preparation each day. This includes planning, shopping, and demonstrating different cooking skills through the daily lunch meals that connect to the concepts being covered in the program, like seasonality, cultural food ways, and land stewardship. This position will work closely with the Program Director and Youth Coordinator to facilitate a supportive and nurturing space to learn and grow. Lunch meals will be prepared 3 days of the week, guided by the seasonal produce available from local farms. Field trip days(Thursdays) will include meals made in advance and/or purchased from localr estaurants, prioritizing BIPOC owned food businesses.
This is a pilot year for the Nourishian Program and we are intentional to build a team that can launch the program to accomplish the goal of cultivating a nourishing space that builds self-efficacy and community connection. Key elements for this team include those who:
