Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Cooking with Kids works to address the nutritional health and well-being of children in Northern New Mexico, impacting not only overall health, but also student engagement and educational success. Approximately one-third of 3rd grade students in NM are classified as overweight or obese. Furthermore, the daily median intake of fruits and vegetables for children in NM is slightly over 2 servings per day, well under the 5 recommended servings per day. Cooking with Kids programming supports increased consumption of fiber, fruits, and vegetables, a primary factor in the prevention of diet-related chronic illnesses. Additionally, children in NM are at risk for low academic success. Only 25% of students in NM are proficient in reading by the 4th grade, and only 20% are proficient in math by the 8th grade. Cooking with Kids provides experiential learning that engages students in a more holistic approach that school formats centered on reading, writing, and abstract concepts cannot provide.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hands-on Nutrition Education
Cooking with Kids provides hands-on learning with real food to over 5,000 elementary school students. Our unique hands-on approach gets kids excited about eating healthy foods while supporting the academic success of our students.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of elementary school children receiving nutrition education.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children, Low-income people
Related Program
Hands-on Nutrition Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of family members participating in school activities
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children
Related Program
Hands-on Nutrition Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
During 2021, pandemic restrictions in schools prevented the usual number of family members from volunteering in Cooking with Kids classes.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Cooking with Kids educates and empowers children and families to make healthy food choices through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods. Well-nourished kids are ready to learn, but providing nutrient-rich foods only works if kids choose to eat them! Our unique hands-on approach gets kids excited about eating healthy foods and supports the academic success of our students in the process. Cooking with Kids provides pivotal opportunities for students to experience first-hand why cooking matters. As we tell our students, “We take care of ourselves when we cook. We use math and science when we cook. We learn about our world when we cook.”
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
When kids help prepare healthy foods, they are more likely to eat and enjoy them, which is why hands-on learning is at the heart of Cooking with Kids programming. Students are highly engaged and able to see real time results in their work. Cooking with Kids classes are also welcoming opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s education and build classroom-to-kitchen bridges that support healthy eating efforts at home.
Cooking with Kids nutrition and cooking activities take place throughout the regular school year and during the summer. Working in close collaboration with school district administrators and teachers, Cooking with Kids educators conduct cooking and tasting classroom lessons that feature fresh, affordable foods and recipes from around the world. These lessons provide fun and positive experiences with healthy foods and give kids confidence in the kitchen. In addition, fruit and vegetable promotions occur regularly in cafeterias, supporting Farm to School and scratch-cooking efforts in school cafeterias. Cooking with Kids staff also work closely with student nutrition staff to provide technical support and culinary trainings. Local farmers and chefs (Superchefs™) are important partners in both classroom and cafeteria initiatives.
Cooking with Kids programming is evidence-based, and USDA-funded research conducted by Colorado State University confirms Cooking with Kids increases preferences for fruits and vegetables and self-efficacy in children (1, 2). These are important first steps towards creating life-long healthy eating habits and battling childhood obesity. As a 2nd grade teacher reported, “Cooking with Kids speaks to the way that young children learn and remember their learning. It is hands-on and actually becomes a part of each student in a way that is inescapable. They actually eat their learning! CWK is one of the best parts of school.”
1. Cunningham-Sabo, L, Lohse, B. (2013). Cooking with Kids positively impacts 4th-graders’ vegetable preferences, and attitudes and self-efficacy for food and cooking. Childhood Obesity. 9(6): 549-556. doi:10.1089/chi.2013.0076
2. Cunningham-Sabo, L, Lohse, B. (2014). Impact of a school-based cooking curriculum for 4th grade students on attitudes and behaviors is influenced by gender and prior cooking experience. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 46(2), 110-120. doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2013.09.007
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Cooking with Kids has a 25+ year track record of successful partnership with public schools, various community organizations and thousands of family member volunteers, bringing sustained, evidence-based nutrition education programming to thousands of children each year. Cooking with Kids has been recognized locally and nationally as a leader in experiential nutrition education, and published research in peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and Childhood Obesity) demonstrates the efficacy of CWK programming: “Cooking with Kids increased fruit and vegetable preferences, especially with vegetables . . . experiential nutrition education improved cognitive behaviors that may mediate healthful food choices.” Additionally, UNM Prevention Research Center evaluation showed statistically significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption among Cooking with Kids participants (New Mexico SNAP-Ed Evaluation Report, Theresa Cruz, PhD, et al., 2015).
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Started in 1995, Cooking with Kids has grown from an all-volunteer effort in one school to an integral part of school communities in 23 public schools in three school districts. Our highly skilled staff has nurtured generations of students through rich and unique hands-on education with food in the majority of public elementary schools in Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties. Cooking with Kids is positioned for further growth in Northern New Mexico, with the aim of impacting even more children and families.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Cooking With Kids, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 12/29/2022
Kristina Martinez
Tim Foster
Alison Brushaber
Charles Dale
Alan Jones
Patrick Mares
Linda Myers
Michael Knight
Mary Anne Larsen
Matt Bunkowski
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/29/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.