As the school year comes to a close, students at Saint Malachy Out of School Time Program (OST) in North Philadelphia enjoyed prepping their final meal with the Vetri Cooking Lab. The OST Program partners with Vetri Community Partnership, a non-profit organization that provides nutrition education through cooking to more than 20,000 people of all ages from Philadelphia and Camden each year.
Vetri Cooking Lab is a dedicated OST program consisting of 10 two-hour long sessions that help students build on culinary skills and nutritional knowledge. Vetri and Saint Malachy OST have partnered on the Vetri Cooking Lab program over the last 5 years with fall, spring, and summer sessions each year.
“Each session offers hands-on cooking and tasting opportunities where the students follow chef’s instructions in creating the meal and finish the session sitting around the table eating their day’s creation and discussing,” explains Erik Ritter, Director of Saint Malachy OST.
Over the years, Saint Malachy has been able to send approximately 80-100 students through the program. According to Vetri Community Partnership, 84% of Vetri Cooking Lab students reported increased culinary skills following the 10 week course.
Students enjoying Vetri Cooking Lab
Saint Malachy is just one of numerous OST programs at Catholic Social Services (CSS). For more than 20 years, CSS has served children and youth through its OST programs to provide safe and enjoyable academic environments. They are school-based community centers that offer an array of creative after-school activities in the late afternoon aimed at youth development and family support. These programs run during the school year and throughout the summer to provide safe, challenging, and engaging learning experiences that help children develop social, emotional, physical and academic skills.
The afterschool initiative also provides programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) education.
At Northeast OST, students were given the opportunity to pair up with Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls. Their Bambie Botz Robotics Team created a Spring STEAM workshop series for the students. Over the course of four different visits to the high school, Northeast OST students learned about topics including friction and electric circuits and created Earth Day art. Activities were designed by the members of the robotics club with support from their lead teacher, Ms. Kelly Pelicano and the high school OST director, Ms. Jo Bradley.
“Northeast OST youth participants are a favorite visitor for the high school OST,” says Bradley. “We look forward to creating more fun memories with them soon.”
In addition to robotics, urban gardening, 3D modeling, film making, and iPad instruction are all available for children to learn skills including problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Children and youth can practice and discover new talents through a variety of art programs including dance, sewing, painting, bucket drumming, and other visual and performing arts.
Saint Thomas Aquinas OST in South Philadelphia recently engaged in a partnership with the Walnut Street Theater group. Walnut Street Theatre is the oldest theatre in America and the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania. Each week, a representative from the theatre group helped students work on creative arts and expression. Students had the opportunity to learn about improv and participate in other theater activities.
OST programs also strive to empower parents to advocate for their children. In addition to programs for children, families are welcomed to the Strengthening Families Program and the Nurturing Parenting Program which focuses on children ages 10-14 and children in grades K-5 respectively.
CSS OST Programs are devoted to building stronger communities throughout the City of Philadelphia. To learn more about CSS OST Programs, check out their website here.
