Cafe 361 is a safe place for young women in grades 6-10 living in or near the Wellington Heights neighborhood. About once a month, 15 young women plan, prepare, cook, serve, and share a meal with up to 100 guests from the community. In doing so, they learn to work together, while learning cooking and budgeting skills. They also socialize with others from their community, including those from backgrounds different from themselves. The participants meet outside of cooking days to follow the “Girls With Ideas” curriculum, a locally developed program aimed at teaching creativity, confidence and leadership skills to middle school girls.
