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Something Good is Cooking at SCLSNJ Thanks to New Jersey Makers Day Grant
About Blog Post
Mar 18, 2024
by SCLSNJ
To celebrate making and maker culture, residents throughout New Jersey will come together in March 2024 to encourage STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) learning. The Somerset County Library System of New Jersey (SCLSNJ) was awarded $1000.00 from New Jersey Makers Day, and although makers day programs have customarily spanned a long weekend, makers in Somerset County will be making all March long (and beyond!).
For sure, something good is cooking at SCLSNJ. With the grant money, SCLSNJ purchased cooking equipment, including: a KitchenAid mixer, a pasta maker, an ice cream maker, a blender / food processor, and more.
"My favorite book growing up wasn't a kids book,” said Aaron Pickett, youth services supervisor. “It was one of my mother's cookbooks with color photographs that I used to just look at over and over well before I could read or cook. I did start cooking very young though, and as a result, never felt intimidated in the kitchen. Eating is something that everyone needs to do, so if children can be exposed to cooking programs and start learning basic cooking skills - like how to measure ingredients and follow a recipe - they are more likely to grow up being excited about cooking.”
Although you might not think of cooking programs as STEAM-focused, they are.
Continued Pickett, “Since I am often cooking with our youngest customers, I use these programs as an excuse to sneak in some math, asking them how many scoops of flour that we will need if we need 2 cups total but we only have a 1/4 cup measuring cup to use. They always feel proud when they land on the right answer. Cooking programs in libraries are a wonderful way to help pass down intergenerational knowledge, with parents and grandparents working cooperatively, and often going home to continue creating together.”
Additionally, SCLSNJ branches pride themselves on being spaces for people to meet and connect in a safe and welcoming environment. Hosting diverse programs helps to encourage all to visit the Library.
“Given how wonderfully diverse our communities are, cooking programs are a great way to introduce children to the cuisine of other cultures - whether we are making cheese arepas during Hispanic Heritage Month, cooking flatbreads with hummus, or making ice cream mochi during anime club,” said Pickett. “Food brings our communities together and we love our Libraries being the space for fostering this togetherness.”
Participate in a delicious cooking event hosted in-person at our Hillsborough branch. The event will be held Monday, March 25, 2024 at 4 p.m. Staff will be teaching participants how to make vegetarian sushi rolls using new grant-funded cooking equipment - induction cookers and pots. Learn more about this program: https://sclsnj.libnet.info/event/10383736.
To learn more about makers programming being offered at SCLSNJ, specifically programming using the new grant-funded cooking equipment, email Pickett at apickett@sclibnj.org. For additional assistance, call (908) 845-8400. To discover all SCLSNJ has to offer, visit SCLSNJ.org or connect with SCLSNJ on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or YouTube.