Socializing the Institutionalized

Returning to society after living in an institution for an extended period presents numerous challenges, many of which can be met through cooking. In the professional kitchen, there are abundant opportunities to learn communication and trust, to improve thinking skills, to work together to accomplish mutually desirable goals, to increase self-esteem and self-efficacy, and to learn work skills. In addition, well-prepared and nutritious meals not only sustain the body and mind, but also provide a natural opportunity to learn table manners and socialize in that most fundamental of communal acts.