Culinary classes, therapeutic programs & life skills training to nourish body, mind and soul™.
Fanjoy Junior Chef™ Culinary programs are cooking up change that lasts a lifetime for youth and their families.
Fanjoy’s Junior Chef™ programming provides teens and young adults with innovative cooking classes and therapeutic programs that build confidence, increase social connection and teach healthy life skills for optimal mental health. When youth feel that they belong and can feed their body, mind and soul, they will thrive and reach their potential.
Register for Junior Chef Culinary Programs
Fanjoy Junior Chef™ Outdoor Culinary Summer Camp for Teens, Guelph
Register now to take advantage of the early bird offer and secure a spot in our Junior Chef Program!
Our outdoor culinary camps are geared to youth who will benefit from individualized attention within a small groups. With a maximum 8 participants, the staff to student ratio is 1:4. Due to the nature of this camp, all youth must be able to be able to follow instructions for their safety and the benefit of other students participating in this hands-on, highly interactive experience.
Cost: $649.00 + HST for 5 days
Summer Camp Dates:
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July 22nd–26th
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July 29th–August 2nd
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August 12th–16th
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August 26th–30th
Location: 98 Surrey Street East, Guelph. Plus additional community locations for weekly outings within walking distance, including the Guelph Fire Department, Guelph Library, Quebec Mall, various food businesses in the downtown core, and other opportunities that may arise for hands-on student learning.
Time: 10 am–3 pm, Monday through Friday
Class size: Min 5 people, max 8 per week
Ages: 13-18 year old (grades 8-12)
Includes:
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Daily technical culinary instruction in our outdoor kitchen, which includes and will focus on BBQ, cooking over live fire and smoking food with Chopped Canada Champion and Food Network Firemasters 2020 Competitor, Chef Pam Fanjoy
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Life skills coaching that focuses on building confidence, developing problem-solving skills, enhancing communication skills and developing self-care strategies while working in the kitchen as part of a team
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Plenty of tastings & lunch provided daily
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Fanjoy Junior Chef binder with our daily recipes and step-by-step instructions
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Students will take home samplings each day of their cooking and families will have the option to pre-order and purchase full evening meals for a reduced fee at their discretion.
Need help with program costs? Partial funding may be available through the Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington Free to Grow program for youths who live in Guelph and Wellington County.
Fanjoy Junior Chef™ Culinary Fundamentals + Life Skills
Helping teens find a place where they truly belong...
This innovative 2-hour culinary class with Chef Pam Fanjoy helps teens disconnect from their screens, take a break from parents, make new friends and learn how to cook up their favourite dishes!
The small group sizes are ideal for youth with autism, ADHD, learning challenges & anxiety. Our team makes talking about real life easy and learning how to solve complex problems seems natural. We meet teens where they're at, help them to communicate, support one another and build positive, strong connections with peers.
Each week, the Junior Chefs will take home a meal for four that they've prepared for their family to enjoy.
Need help with program costs? Ask us about funding options.
Stay tuned for upcoming dates in 2024.
“It's been an amazing experience for staff and for students and we've all learned so much, not just about cooking but also about working together as a team and taking on new roles and being inclusive of all different people and all of their strengths.”
Mary Beth Tersigni McCuen
Principal, St. Peter Catholic School, Guelph, Ont.
Fanjoy Junior Chef™ Culinary Fundamentals Level 1 & 2 for Teens
This 4-week cooking program focuses on teaching the fundamentals of knife skills, using heat to create flavour, wet and dry cooking techniques, basic sauce making and how to use what is at hand in the kitchen to reduce food waste. Teens will build their confidence, make new friends and experience how food can bring us together for more connection. Menus will focus on using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and developing the skill of cooking without needing to even have a recipe. Stay tuned for upcoming dates.
Fanjoy Junior Chef™ Culinary Fundamentals, Classics + Life Skills
These small therapeutic culinary classes run by Chef Pam Fanjoy and Cai, our Child & Youth Worker, teach youth with autism, mental health concerns or learning differences to cook AND cope better with life’s more complex challenges. Teens in this program may be dealing with anxiety, depression, family illness or loss, trauma, autism, ADHD, learning challenges, separation and divorce or eating disorders. With 30 years of social work experience as an adolescent and family therapist before becoming a chef, Pam has developed a unique way of using milieu therapy approaches in these specialized culinary classes. Teens disconnect from their screens, take a break from parents, and make new friends all while learning how to cook up their favourite dishes! Stay tuned for upcoming dates.
RAINBOW CONNECTIONS—Culinary and life skills pod for LGBTQ2S+ and NON-BINARY teens
Finding a safe place where you belong is not only important, but critical for our physical health and mental wellbeing. This program is designed exclusively for youth identifying as gay, lesbian, non binary, trans or anywhere on the LGBTQ spectrum. Gathering together to learn the basics of cooking up healthy food, budgeting, creative plating and our 3 C’s— Communication, Collaboration and Cooperation, teens will find delicious new ways to feed healthy connections and accept themselves AS IS.
Ask about our custom agency youth drop in plans that are available for select Not for Profit or Charitable Partners working within the field of youth mental health, or committed to preventing youth food insecurity and/or homelessness.
Please contact pam@chefpamfanjoy.com for further information.
We are currently looking for either a corporate sponsor or Not for Profit funding that will allow us to resume & continue offering our in person programs for LGBTQ2S+ youth this fall. These culinary programs are always made available for select partnering agencies to book privately. Stay tuned for upcoming dates.