Providence Kitchen Academy
At JWU Providence’s Kitchen Academy, our hands-on cooking classes are led by expert chefs who turn every session into a fun, interactive experience.
Interactive Cooking Classes for All
Want to kickstart your skills in a few hours? That’s where JWU Providence’s Kitchen Academy comes in. Our fun and interactive classes are taught by expert chefs who share their knowledge and professionalism — and their best tips and tricks!
From summer camps to gourmet workshops and customized group events, every class is designed to inspire creativity, build skills and spark a lifelong love of cooking.
Most classes are designed for a range of experience levels, but a few (like our courses aimed specifically at industry professionals) are best enjoyed by intermediate or advanced culinarians.
Each course offering is labelled with an expertise range to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Recreational Classes
Cost & Duration: Varies
Level: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced
Class Types: Classic Dishes, Breads, Desserts
Whether you’re a passionate home cook or simply looking to expand your culinary skills, JWU’s recreational cooking classes will help you reach your culinary goals.
Classes combine hands-on experience with demonstrations under the direction of our professional chef-instructors. In just a few hours, you can explore world cuisines, improve your culinary fundamentals or perfect a favorite dish, dessert or confection.
Summer Camps
For Kids & Teens
For Kids (ages 8-12) | Cost: $600 | Duration: Five days, 8:30am-4pm
For Teens (ages 13-17) | Cost: $700 | Duration: Five days, 8:30am-4pm
Classes will be announced in early 2027.
Our unique day camps are designed for kids and teens looking to sharpen their culinary skills in a professional kitchen.
- Kids Camp: Work collaboratively in groups, in addition to personalized guidance from our College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) instructors. Afternoons are spent working on culinary or pastry-themed activities.
- Teens Camp: Five days of classes let campers explore regional and global dishes, as well as baking & pastry techniques. It’s also a great way to build leadership, communication, critical thinking, teamwork and creativity skills.
Custom Culinary Experiences
Cost & Duration: Varies
Level: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced
Class Types: Classic dishes, desserts
For more information about customized experiences, including pricing, contact us. If you have a specific class idea and rough date in mind, fill out the form and we will get in touch with you.
Design your own culinary adventure. We offer 3 options that can be customized depending on your group’s experience level and needs:
- Customized Corporate Experiences: From knife skills to world cuisines, artisan breads to French pastries, there’s sure to be a class just for you. Bring your team to the table and let JWU host your next teambuilding experience.
- Recreational Cooking: Our 3-hour hands-on cooking experiences, designed for groups from 12-16 participants, include two hours of cooking and learning under the direction of a JWU chef-instructor. Class is followed by a family meal served in the adjacent dining room.
- Competitive Challenges: Let us customize your event by incorporating team cooking challenges, such as Mystery Basket or Iron Chef-style competitions. We will customize your event to suit your time and needs.
Wine, Spirits & Beverage Classes
Cost & Duration: Varies
Level: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced
Class type: Wine, spirits or beer
Ready to take your wine and spirits knowledge to the next level?
JWU is an Approved Program Provider for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a globally recognized organization providing education and qualifications in wine, spirits and sake for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
Kitchen Academy Policies
Class Safety
Allergens
Be aware that JWU does not guarantee an allergen-free environment. Recipes may contain nuts, nut oils, shellfish, dairy, produce and other food allergens. See the expanded Policies section below for more details.
Dress Code
You’ll be working in a kitchen, so dress appropriately:
- Flat, rubber-soled shoes (such as sneakers) are required (preferably slip-resistant).
- No open shoes or high heels.
- Bring your own cloth apron (or purchase a JWU Kitchen Academy apron for an additional $30).
- NO plastic aprons, for safety reasons.
Refunds/Cancellations
Camps: Camp payments are nonrefundable after 30 days prior to the first Camp Day. Notice of the cancellation must be received in writing by JWU by the applicable deadline. JWU reserves the right to cancel the Camp based on any reason within or outside of JWU’s control. In the case of cancellation by JWU, JWU will refund any amounts paid for the cancelled portion of the Camp to the original form of payment.
Programs (Recreational/Inside the Professional Kitchen): Cancelling Program registration at least 30 days before the Program start date, you will be offered the opportunity to reschedule to another Program at a mutually convenient time or a full refund, less any bank fees owed by JWU. If you cancel your Program after 30 days prior to the Program start date, but at least 14 days prior to the Program start date, you will be offered the opportunity to reschedule to another Program at a mutually convenient time, or a refund of 75% of the Program fee, less any bank fees owed by JWU.
Gift Cards
Once a gift card is purchased, there is no right to cancel the purchase or receive a refund. Gift cards are nonrefundable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash.
Safety/Dress
For all Camps and Programs, please remember to dress appropriately. No shorts or sandals are allowed in the kitchen. You should wear long pants and flat, rubber-closed toe shoes with backs, such as sneakers (no shoes with holes, clogs, or dress shoes).
Image Usage
In connection with any Camp or Program, JWU may take photographs, or recordings, whether audio or video recordings, of the participants and may use these images or recordings, whether audio or video, for educational, marketing, promotional, or other university purposes.
Allergens
JWU uses hundreds of various foods and food products in its classrooms and laboratories, including, but not limited to, eggs, fish, milk (and other dairy products), nuts (peanuts and tree nuts), shellfish and other seafood, soybeans, spices, wheat, and other potential allergens, as well as cleaning supplies that may contain potential allergens. As a result, it may not be possible to eliminate certain allergens, and we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.
Contact Kitchen Academy
Have questions about Kitchen Academy classes? Contact us!