The Free Library is advancing literacy in Philadelphia in a unique and innovative way—with a fork and a spoon. Cooking and eating are educational acts and provide opportunities to learn math, science, languages, history and so much more. Pull up a seat at our table and see what's cooking at the Free Library of Philadelphia!
Programs, Services, and Toolkit
Edible Alphabet
Edible Alphabet is a free English Language Learning (ELL) program offered by the Free Library's Culinary Literacy Center. The mission is to teach English language and literacy skills through hands-on cooking projects.
Culinary Literacy Toolkit
Since opening the Culinary Literacy Center in June 2014, libraries and community centers from around the country and world have contacted us to learn how to bring culinary literacy to their communities. We created this toolkit to help other public libraries replicate their work and launch programs of their own.
There's an apiary atop the Parkway Central branch, plus an observation hive *inside* the Port Richmond location.
Pizza-making classes, wine tastings for every level, and programming kids will love.
Philadelphia celebrated the end of Welcoming Week
by honoring city workers and community advocates who help immigrants, refugees, and others figure out how to make the city their new home.