Culikid is a small non-profit organization based in New York City dedicated to developing healthy culinary programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our mission is to help neurodiverse children, adolescents, and adults strengthen their social, independent-living, and fine motor skills through culinary experiences, while learning to eat healthier.

About the Position:

Culikid seeks two part-time Chef Instructors to plan and co-facilitate in-person and virtual cooking classes. Each teacher will work about 8-12 hours per week, leading in-person and virtual cooking classes for a variety of age groups. Example schedules are below:

• Chef Instructor #1: Mondays 11:00am-3:30pm, Fridays 2:30-6:00pm
• Chef Instructor #2: Mondays 4:00-7:00pm, Thursdays 11:00am-6:00pm, Saturdays 12:30-2:00pm

Each Chef Instructor will be responsible for planning a progressive skill-based curriculum for each weekly group class, developing recipes suitable for each class, and teaching the culinary lessons in accessible manner for neurodiverse participants. All classes are co-facilitated with an occupational therapist or social worker. This position will also create digital content for Culikid’s social media and website such as recipe pictures and videos. There may also be opportunities to lead additional classes, such as private group classes and one-on-one classes.

The Chef Instructor will report directly to the Executive Director. This position will be compensated at a rate of $20-25 per hour.

Responsibilities:

• Plan and co-facilitate weekly group cooking lessons, ensuring lessons are progressive, skill-based, and accessible for neurodiverse participants
• Suggest and develop appropriate recipes for classes that meet class requirements (for example: meet difficulty levels, follow specific themes, accommodate dietary restrictions, etc.)
• Plan, develop recipes, and co-facilitate monthly virtual cooking classes for attendees of all ages and abilities
• Collaborate with co-facilitators to plan lessons that target group’s goals and fit their skill level
• Assess participants’ growth through observation and documentation, report progress to supervisor and other facilitators, implement changes in future classes based on observations
• Test recipes when necessary to trial effectiveness and prepare for lessons
• Meet with Executive Director at least once per month to plan for upcoming lessons
• Create content for at least two social media posts per month which can include cooking tips, cooking adaptations for different abilities, recipes, and/or videos
• Other tasks to support Culikid programs as needed

Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of professional experience in a culinary field, preferably teaching group classes
• Experience working with youth and/or neurodiverse individuals
• Passion for helping youth with disabilities become independent and healthy through cooking
• Patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor
• Ability to quickly create solutions when faced with unexpected situations
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Availability during program hours (listed above)
• Ability to dedicate additional hours each week for program prep, including meetings with supervisor and curriculum planning
• Must be available to start by February 28. Training can begin earlier if available.

To apply:

Please send a resume and cover letter to info@culikid.org with the subject “Part-Time Chef Instructor.” In the body of your email, indicate which program time slots (listed in the “About the Position” section) you are available to teach.