Rural Initiative Program

The Reality Kitchen Rural Initiative program delivers an accessible online learning platform for a wide range of topics and content otherwise unavailable to individuals living in rural or remote communities.

Let’s Get Cooking!

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Accessible education

Online Classes

We offer courses that help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who live in rural communities to:

  • Prepare healthy meals at home
  • Build independence & self-confidence
  • Gain tech skills & knowledge
  • Build connections & peer-to-peer relationships
  • Achieve personal goals
  • Prepare for employment in the food service industry
  • Discover local employment opportunities

Your Questions, Answered

Here is a brief FAQ about our online training program:

Who is Eligible?

Individuals 18 to 25 years of age experiencing intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are not enrolled in transition services through their school district.

Which Skills are Taught?

Some of the topics covered include:

Digital Safety
Food Safety & Kitchen Safety
Cooking Methods & Techniques
Hospitality & Customer Service
Recipe Development
And many more!

What is the Schedule?

Courses are offered on weekdays, specific times vary per each course.

Contact us for a full course schedule.

Where are Classes Held?

Online training is accessible from the comfort of your home!

Participants receive groceries and an iPad with internet hotspot

How to Enroll?

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving online training, please contact us:

Contact Info

Courses Overview

Online Learning & Safety

Intro to Food Service

Conscious Cooking

Advanced Food Courses

4 weeks

Online Learning & Safety

*Prerequisite Course (required before taking advanced courses)

Basics

  • Tablet & iPad Usage
  • Email How-to
  • Email/text Etiquette

Digital Safety

  • How Much Online Activity is Healthy?
  • Positive vs. Risky Online Behaviors
  • Scams & Finding Reliable Info

Digital Citizenship

  • Taking & sharing Photos
  • Online Navigation & Research
  • Respectful Engagement

Rewarding Relationships

  • Boundaries in Online Communication
  • Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships
  • Identifying “Red Flag” Feelings
6 weeks

Intro to Food Service

*Prerequisite Course (required before taking advanced courses)

Food Safety

  • Navigating a Kitchen
  • Fighting Bacteria
  • Cook, Chill, Clean, & Separate
  • Kitchen Safe Clothing
  • Tools and Equipment

Cooking Methods & Techniques

  • Chef’s Cuts and Knife Techniques
  • Immersion Blending, Emulsion, etc.
  • Wet and Dry Cooking Methods
  • Food Thermometers, Barriers, etc.
  • Citrus Juicing, Garnishes, etc.

Cooking Labs

  • Prepping: Mise En Place
  • Time Management
  • Intro to Taste Assessment
  • Intro to Food Presentation
  • Intro to Recipe Developmen

Intro to Hospitality

  • Working with Customers
  • Communication
  • Hospitality Across Cultures
  • Problem-Solving
6 weeks

Conscious Cooking

*Prerequisite Course (required before taking advanced courses)

Your Body

  • Cravings, Digestion, Blood Sugar
  • Eating in the Present – Not the Past
  • Getting Friendly with your Senses
  • Bitter, Pungent, Sour, Salty, & Sweet Foods

Your Kitchen

  • Building Comfortable Habits, Routines, and Patterns
  • Using and Organizing Tools
  • Water Usage and Air Ventilation

Your Food

  • Where Your Food Comes From
  • Lifecycles & Local Food
  • Processed & Ultra-Processed Food
  • Using all the Parts of your Food
  • Growing Your Own

Your Cooking

  • Complimentary Foods & Flavors
  • Learning from other Cultures
  • Creativity vs Decadence
  • Harmonizing with the Seasons

Advanced Courses

*All prerequisite courses must be taken first

6 Weeks

Hospitality & Customer Service

6 Weeks

Baking

4 Weeks

Barista

6 Weeks

Workplace Expectations

4 Weeks

Food Sourcing

4 Weeks

Recipe Development

4 Weeks

Taste & Flavor

4 Weeks

Food Preservation

4 Weeks

Food & Culture

well-rounded learning

Electives

That’s not all. Students will also expand their knowledge and gain opportunities with additional courses and extracurriculars:

  • Reading Circles
  • Discussions about Voting
  • Civics
  • History
  • Storytelling and Writing
  • Public Speaking and Debate
  • Painting and Drawing Classes
  • Home-bound Exercises Sessions
Contact to Enroll

Supported Employment

Want to learn in person? Reality Kitchen is not just a retail establishment, it’s also a place for those experiencing I/DD to learn hands-on skills to help them transition into a traditional workplace.

Learn More
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