KENSINGTON KISSEL Senior Service Learning Project Cooking Thyme

KENSINGTON KISSEL Senior Service Learning Project- Cooking Thyme

About Me… • AP Calculus, AP Government/Econ, Spanish 4, and Communications 101. • Swim Team, Tennis Team, Link Leader, Student Council, Class Officer, and NHS. • Magma Cum Laude. • 4. 0 • Evansville Courier and Press Gold Star Student.

College and Career • Southern Illinois University in Carbondale • Geophysics

Special Olympics • The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. • They give to the community by providing children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports activities. • Various Special Olympics Sports • I volunteer with The Special Olympics Swim Team

Thyme in the Kitchen • Thyme in the Kitchen is gourmet kitchen store located on the West Side of Evansville. It is owned by Marcia Jochem. Thyme not only provides customers with an array of kitchen supplies they can purchase, they also offer cooking classes! • http: //thymeinthekitchenevv. com/

Mentor • Ruth Richmond • Manager at Thyme in the Kitchen. • Family Friend and Melanie’s Mother. • Kind always willing to help. • Helped me plan and organize the project. • Dedicated to Special Olympics • Emily Wilderman • Event Coordinator at Thyme in the Kitchen • Helped me plan and organize the project

About “Cooking Thyme” • For my Senior Project, I decided to work with the staff at “Thyme in the Kitchen” to arrange and perform a cooking class for the Special Olympic Swim Team and the Special Needs Students in Apartment 116 at Reitz.

Stages of “Cooking Thyme” • Called Ruth Richmond to discuss potential ideas • Observed a cooking class to understand the process • Met with staff to discuss details/participants, organize menus • Made and sent fliers to guests • Solicited donations for the project, and received a donation from Walmart • Met with staff at Thyme again to finalize details • Implemented class

Project Challenges • Offering the cooking class at an affordable price to attract participants • Limited space availability • Required a $5 deposit to hold spot which would be donated to Special Olympics • Donations were difficult to obtain • Emily assisted in writing a letter to Walmart and we were graciously awarded a gift card to cover the cost of ingredients

Project Successes • 5 students attended the class. • Students made several dishes including chicken pot pies, fruit pies, and cookies. • The staff and volunteers assisted each student. • The kind donation from Walmart covered all material costs • This would not have been possible without the gracious donation from Thyme in the kitchen!

Personal Growth • I was the one who learned something that day. • The most important things in life come from helping others. • Students have purest hearts and embrace life. • By donating my time, I could make a difference.

Conclusion • Everyone had fun , enjoyed each other’s company, and learned something new. • It takes a lot of people and time to put together an event like this. • People are willing to help if you just ask • I was the real winner in this project!