Summer is right around the corner and the Culinary Literacy Center is looking forward to another season of Summer Thyme Cooks! This year we are offering a week-long library and cooking program for youth entering grades 5-12 , presented by the Nourishing Literacy Kitchen Team.

Summer Thyme students will participate in one full week of programming at Parkway Central Library during the week of July 22, for middle school students, or the week of August 5, for high school students, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition to spending time in our kitchen classroom, each day will include short visits and activities with different library departments and people who work in the library.

Copies of our featured Summer Thyme book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: Youth Readers Edition, will be available for check out before joining us. We will be incorporating this book into activities throughout the week.

Lunch and snacks are provided, and allergies are accommodated. Recipes are youth-friendly, featuring fruits and vegetables, and practical skill-building. At the close of the week, students will receive a bag of produce celebrating their work, in sharing cooking skills and recipes with their loved ones!

We ask that all interested youth complete an application with their caregiver’s involvement:

Applications for students entering grades 5-8 »

Applications for students entering grades 9-12 »

The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, June 7. We will be in touch with caregivers by Friday, June 15. Spots are very limited. Applications will be processed and prioritized using the following guidelines

Representation from a range of neighborhood libraries: Calling youth from all areas of Philly!

New cooks to this program: If you have not had the opportunity to participate in Summer Thyme Cooks, you are encouraged to apply!

Commitment to be present and on time at Parkway Central Library from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each day, throughout the entire week: Students and caregivers will be asked to sign a contract. We anticipate a lot of interest in this program. Those who are selected to be involved are ask to be fully involved.

Questions can be sent to Nourishing Literacy Program Manager, Shayna Marmar at marmars@freelibrary.org.

This program is offered on a sliding scale of $0 to $75 per student, for the week. Ability to contribute does not impact the application process.