iCook After School teaches cooking to kids inside their elementary and middle schools. It has no storefront kitchen. Two friends, Lesya Merena and Olga Davis, started it in 2014 in one Chicago community. It now runs in hundreds of schools across fourteen states. Chicago sites this fall include Decatur Classical, St. Matthias, McPherson and Alphonsus Academy.
Classes meet once a week after school for about an hour, over a term of two to four months. The theme for the 2026-2027 session is Sugar and Spice, which mixes sweet treats with savory bites. The recipes are easy and colorful and use mostly fresh ingredients. Fun names like Super-Power Smoothie and Godzilla Veggie Bites help get kids to try new foods. Kids learn to chop, shred and mix. They also practice measuring, fractions and reading recipes.
The program is nut-free and uses no raw eggs or shellfish. Many instructors are registered dietitian nutritionists, and every instructor passes a background check. To enroll, find your child's school on the list. iCook holds a 4.8 rating from 59 Google reviews.
Comes to you · North Center, Chicago
Chicago-born after-school cooking classes held inside kids' own elementary schools
Kids & families
Classes and camps for young cooks
Beginners
No experience needed
Written from iCook After School’s own site and class listings, October 2026. How we write these
Read from their own listings and checked weekly. Prices are per person.
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Tue 3 Nov, 1:40pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Tue 3 Nov, 3:30pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Tue 3 Nov, 4pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Wed 4 Nov, 1:15pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Wed 4 Nov, 1:40pm
1.3 hours · Hands-on
Next: Wed 4 Nov, 1:45pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Wed 4 Nov, 3pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Wed 4 Nov, 3:30pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Thu 5 Nov, 2:30pm · 2 dates
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Thu 5 Nov, 2:45pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Thu 5 Nov, 3:30pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Thu 5 Nov, 4pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Fri 6 Nov, 2:45pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Fri 6 Nov, 3:10pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Mon 9 Nov, 2:15pm
1 hour · Hands-on
Next: Mon 9 Nov, 2:45pm
Guest reviews on Cooking Class Finder
None yet. Be the first.
Class recaps first. Tap a post to see it on Instagram.
Call (773) 697-3115 or email info@icookafterschool.com. Schools can also bring iCook in through the principal or the head of after-school programs.
The program is nut-free and uses no raw eggs or shellfish. Include any allergy information when you register, and iCook will do its best to meet your child's needs.
iCook tries to schedule a make-up class, in person or online. If more than one class is affected, it offers an online way to take part.
The instructors come from different backgrounds and have experience working with children. Many are registered dietitian nutritionists, and all pass background checks.
Email iCook to be added to the waitlist.
Cooking school · Lincoln Square, Chicago
Lincoln Square recreational cooking school, open since 1997, with five-day boot camps
4.9on Google, 932 reviews
Cooking school · Naperville, IL
Wilton's baking and cake-decorating school at its Naperville headquarters
No ratings yet
Community kitchen · West Ridge, Chicago
Home-style Japanese cooking classes from the Japanese American Service Committee
No ratings yetNearby: Spice Girl on Tour · Give Me Some Sugar · The Chopping Block · Cooking with Cass LLC · All cooking classes in Chicago