our impact

Jr. Chef Central has reached thousands of kids in the Sacramento Region.  Our classes, camps and school programs are designed to inspire the love of cooking and expose young chefs age 10 - 15 to a variety of culinary techniques, foster an appreciation of cooking at home, and encourage independence and creativity in the kitchen. 

Jr. Chef Central was founded in 2004 by Karla Lacey, a former corporate executive with a passion for food and a desire to share her passion in a meaningful way.

The idea behind Jr. Chef Central was simple.  Teach kids, ages 10-15, how to cook.  Incorporate the circle of life of food so they would be educated cooks and consumers—from  the farm, to the market, to the grocery store, to the plate.  Build a foundation based on solid culinary skills, nutritional facts, and the table as a community.  Structure the program so all participants would learn to be comfortable wherever and with whomever they were breaking bread—no matter the company, place, or occasion. Use time-tested methods of instruction: Treat every child as capable of accomplishing every task required; tell, demonstrate, assist, let go.

Seems we’re doing something right!  Dedicated instructors  and culinary professionals have learned through our program to consistently impart information to young people whether in small classes of 12, groups of 75, or crowds of many more. This style of teaching has worked with children from all walks of life and with multiple levels of ability—Down’s  Syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADD, vegetarians, picky eaters, and budding connoisseurs alike. We’ve been honored to take part in an academic research program providing health-enhancing experiences for kids, including meal preparation, to affect academic performance.  And in a grant funded program, targeting lower-income elementary students, teaching preparation skills using seasonal fresh produce—all  with a focus on teamwork, knife safety, sanitation, and dishes prepared from scratch that they can make at home.  Parents constantly tell me “I can’t believe you got my child to eat this!”  The truth is, I didn't get them to do anything they didn't want to do.  Because they had a hand in deciding what to make, and two hands in making it, they were eager to eat. And just as proud to share what they made with others.

AMANDA ARNOLD

OWNER / DIRECTOR

I began my journey with Jr. Chef Central as a parent of a Jr. Chef.  My stepdaughter was interested in cooking and I signed her up for a Basic Camp.  After she completed the Advanced Camp in the summer of 2008, Chef Karla announced the first Jr. Chef Central Kids Culinary Convention and I volunteered to help at the convention.  After that day, I was hooked and became a regular volunteer (Jr. Chef groupie) until the spring of 2009 when I became the Operations Manager. After the summer of 2009, Chef Karla made the decision to move to Bermuda and take a position with Bermuda Hospitality Institute and run a Jr. Chef Central program in Bermuda. In the summer of 2012, with the help of my incredibly supportive husband, we took over the operation of Jr. Chef Central in the Sacramento area.

Prior to my work with Jr. Chef, I spent many years in the Food Service and Hospitality Industry.  I have a passion for eating healthy and have found my calling in sharing that passion with young people!

CARISSA JONES

CHEF INSTRUCTOR

The Culinary Arts Instructor at Oakmont High School, Chef Carissa has taught Culinary Arts for seven years. Her past teaching posts have been with Le Cordon Bleu, Cosumnes River College and Sacramento County Office of Education.

“I love cooking from scratch and using the seasonal bounty that we are blessed with in California.”

Degrees and Certifications:

-BS in Political Science and Sociology
-Certificate in Baking and Pastry from the California Culinary Academy
-Certified Dietary Management from American River College
-Certified Executive Pastry Chef from the American Culinary Federation

SCOT RICE

CHEF INSTRUCTOR

The Culinary Arts Instructor at Florin High School, Chef Scot has a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. He’s also an alumni of the Napa Valley Cooking School and the Professional Baking and Pastry Program at the Culinary Institute of America.

Prior to Florin High School, Chef Scot was an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento, a Culinary Coordinator for Sur La Table and has worked in San Francisco at Citizen Cake, Restaurant Gary Danko and Acme Breads.

This summer Chef Scot will share his years of experience and industry knowledge with our Jr. Chef’s making both cooking, and learning about food, enjoyable.

Basic Camp

• We focus on local ingredients and seasonal menus.

• Monday thru Thursday mornings, kids prepare a 3 - 4 course meal they eat for lunch, and the afternoons are spent doing food and nutrition related activities and games.

• Friday afternoon at Jr. Chef Camp will be our "Showcase”. Jr. Chef's will entertain their invited guests (2 guests included) with what they've made and learned throughout the week.

Contact Us

Have questions? Use the form below to ask, or email us at jrchefcentralca@gmail.com