Jr. Chef Central

Jr. Chef Central runs week-long summer cooking camps for kids ages 10 to 15. Camp meets at the Florin High School Culinary Center on Cottonwood Lane in Sacramento. Campers must be 10 by their first day, with no exceptions.

From Monday to Thursday, mornings are spent in the kitchen. Teams of four cook a 3 to 4 course lunch from local, seasonal ingredients and then eat it. Afternoons go to games about food, nutrition and etiquette, and Food Jeopardy is a favorite. Kids use real knives. They learn knife skills, food safety, sanitation, table setting and manners, and they help clean up. On Friday they cook for two invited guests and demonstrate what they learned. Chef Scot taught some of the 2026 weeks.

Basic Camp costs $450 for five days. A shorter four-day week costs $360 and has no Friday guest event. Tuition covers the daily lunch and a personalized apron. All weeks in a summer share the same menu, and the menu changes each year. Phones stay in cubbies during class time.