Jr. Chef Central Summer Camp
Florin High School Culinary Building, 7956 Cottonwood Lane, Sacramento, CA 95828
About
Jr. Chef Central Summer Camp has kids preparing a 3–4 course meal for lunch, baking sweet treats, and taking part in food and nutrition related activities and games. Campers learn knife skills, kitchen safety and sanitation, food safety, and cooking techniques, along with seasonal and healthy meals, nutrition, table setting, dining etiquette, and table manners. The week ends with a Friday “Showcase” where Jr. Chefs entertain invited guests with what they have made and learned.
• Ages: 10–15 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–3:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM–2:00 PM, with meal preparation in the mornings and food and nutrition activities and games in the afternoons
Jr. Chef Central was founded in 2004. The mission focuses on teaching kids to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and their families, while using food to bridge cultural, social, and economic divides among young people. Jr. Chef Central has reached thousands of kids in the Sacramento region, has taken part in an academic research program that included meal preparation to affect academic performance, and has participated in a grant-funded program for lower-income elementary students that taught preparation skills with seasonal fresh produce, teamwork, knife safety, sanitation, and dishes prepared from scratch that they can make at home.
The leadership team includes Amanda Arnold (Owner/Director), Karla Lacey (Founder), and Chef Instructors Carissa Jones and Scot Rice. Staff experience includes prior work in the food service and hospitality industry, culinary arts instruction at high schools and colleges, certificates in baking and pastry and dietary management, and professional pastry and culinary credentials. Additional experience includes work at restaurants and bakeries such as Citizen Cake, Restaurant Gary Danko, and Acme Breads, as well as roles like Culinary Coordinator for Sur La Table.
Programs are described as designed to inspire a love of cooking and expose young chefs ages 10–15 to a variety of culinary techniques, with an emphasis on the “circle-of-life” of food from farm to plate, local ingredients, and seasonal menus. Instruction uses the sequence “tell, demonstrate, assist, let go,” and Jr. Chefs work in teams of four, with teams that may change daily. Each week of Basic Camp uses the same menu, and each summer has a new menu, with a goal of starting Jr. Chefs on a path to living a healthy life.
The camp has a Friday “Showcase” where Jr. Chefs entertain invited guests, with two guests included. Jr. Chefs are assigned personal cubbies on the first day, and the cell phone policy requires phones to be kept in cubbies during class time or in the kitchen, with access allowed but phones to be checked and returned promptly. A parent testimonial reports, “Parents constantly tell me ‘I can’t believe you got my child to eat this!’”
Last updated June 8, 2026.
• Ages: 10–15 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–3:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM–2:00 PM, with meal preparation in the mornings and food and nutrition activities and games in the afternoons
Jr. Chef Central was founded in 2004. The mission focuses on teaching kids to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and their families, while using food to bridge cultural, social, and economic divides among young people. Jr. Chef Central has reached thousands of kids in the Sacramento region, has taken part in an academic research program that included meal preparation to affect academic performance, and has participated in a grant-funded program for lower-income elementary students that taught preparation skills with seasonal fresh produce, teamwork, knife safety, sanitation, and dishes prepared from scratch that they can make at home.
The leadership team includes Amanda Arnold (Owner/Director), Karla Lacey (Founder), and Chef Instructors Carissa Jones and Scot Rice. Staff experience includes prior work in the food service and hospitality industry, culinary arts instruction at high schools and colleges, certificates in baking and pastry and dietary management, and professional pastry and culinary credentials. Additional experience includes work at restaurants and bakeries such as Citizen Cake, Restaurant Gary Danko, and Acme Breads, as well as roles like Culinary Coordinator for Sur La Table.
Programs are described as designed to inspire a love of cooking and expose young chefs ages 10–15 to a variety of culinary techniques, with an emphasis on the “circle-of-life” of food from farm to plate, local ingredients, and seasonal menus. Instruction uses the sequence “tell, demonstrate, assist, let go,” and Jr. Chefs work in teams of four, with teams that may change daily. Each week of Basic Camp uses the same menu, and each summer has a new menu, with a goal of starting Jr. Chefs on a path to living a healthy life.
The camp has a Friday “Showcase” where Jr. Chefs entertain invited guests, with two guests included. Jr. Chefs are assigned personal cubbies on the first day, and the cell phone policy requires phones to be kept in cubbies during class time or in the kitchen, with access allowed but phones to be checked and returned promptly. A parent testimonial reports, “Parents constantly tell me ‘I can’t believe you got my child to eat this!’”
Last updated June 8, 2026.
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