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Holyoke Community College

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2026 Summer Youth Programming

Passport to Flavors with Chef Vargas-Gonzalez (Ages 9-16) FOOD 126.51, CRN 26213

$425
Calendar Jul 20, 2026 at 9 am

Ages: 9 - 16

Calling all young food lovers - it’s time to travel the world through food! This hands-on cooking camp takes kids on a delicious journey across global cuisines, exploring flavors, techniques, and ingredients that make each culture unique. They will dive into fun daily themes like diner classics, Mexican favorites, Mediterranean feasts, Filipino street bites, and Southern comfort food, all while building confidence one tasty dish at a time. Throughout the week, young chefs will practice kitchen safety, learn proper knife skills, and discover how to balance flavors using herbs, spices, and sauces from around the world. They’ll also work together on team cooking challenges that inspire creativity, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

The menu for the week will be as follows:

Monday (Diner Classic) Fried Chicken Sliders, Sweet Potato Fries, House pickles, Banana Cream Pudding Shooters

Tuesday (Mexican )Steak and Cheese Quesadilla with street corn salad, pico de gallo and sour cream (Cilantro rice as a group)

Wednesday (Mediterranean) Beef kofta, fattoush salad, tzatziki and pita

Thursday (Filipino Bowl) Chicken skewers, with white rice, topped with fried shallots, pickled carrots, scallions, cucumber

Friday (Southern Vibes) Baked Mac and Cheese, Pulled Pork, Slaw and Cornbread

Please alert us to any food allergies upon registration & bring a food safe container each day for leftovers to go home.

Dropoff no earlier than 8.45am & pickup no later than 3.15pm, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted

Make Your First Video Game (age 11-14) YUTH 109.52, CRN 26088

$199
Calendar Jul 20, 2026 at 1 pm

Ages: 11 - 14

In this Black Rocket classic, you will go well beyond the limitations of the traditional 2D game design classes and create an immersive 3D world. Students will learn the physics behind 3D games, explore beginner event scripting, level design, controlling the flow of gameplay, and storytelling. Student projects will be available on a password-protected Black Rocket website to share with friends and family. Projects are only compatible with Windows devices. Students will work in pairs or teams for most of the program. 

Students can only be registered if their actual age matches the advertised age range of the class. If a registration is received that does not comply, we will have to cancel the registration and issue a refund. 

Dropoff no earlier than 15 minutes prior to class start time & pickup no later than 15 minutes after class end time, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Instructor Brittany Pietskowski

Around the world with Chef Swanigan (Ages 9-16) FOOD 124.52, CRN 26210

$425
Calendar Jul 27, 2026 at 9 am

Ages: 9 - 16

Cuisine around the world serves as a universal language that unites people across cultures through shared flavors, traditions, and stories. Join us for an exciting week of hands-on culinary fun, where young chefs will discover the joy of cooking delicious, easy-to-prepare meals to share with family and friends. Participants will work together to chop, season, cook, and taste a variety of recipes - all made from scratch. Each day introduces new menu themes, ingredients, and techniques designed to build confidence in the kitchen. Along the way, students will learn essential skills such as kitchen safety, proper sanitation, and effective teamwork. By the end of the week, your young chef will take home a collection of new recipes, improved culinary skills, and plenty of flavorful memories to share with others. By the end of the week, your young chef will take home a collection of new recipes, improved culinary skills, and plenty of flavorful memories to share with others.

The menu for each day will be as follows:

Monday- Asia Teriyaki Bowl (white rice, teriyaki grilled chicken, mix of vegetables)

Tuesday- Puerto Rico Spanish rice and beans, Fried Pork Chops, Sweet Plantain, Side Salad

Wednesday- Greek Lemon Potatoes, Herb Baked Chicken, Mediterranean Salad

Thursday- Italy Genovese (Rigatoni w sugo alla genovese sauce), Caprese Salad

Friday- Cajun French Jambalaya (andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp) Smothered Cabbage, Sweet Cornbread

Please alert us to any food allergies upon registration & bring a food safe container each day for leftovers to go home.

Dropoff no earlier than 8.45am & pickup no later than 3.15pm, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Minecraft Designers (Age 8-10) YUTH 093.51, CRN 26227

$199
Calendar Jul 27, 2026 at 9 am

Ages: 8 - 10

If you love the game Minecraft and always wanted to design your own world, this class is for you! Learn how to create a custom map, design structures to share between worlds, build with Redstone and Command blocks, and create custom textures for you to import at home or share with friends. Students must have the Java version of Minecraft to take this class. Tablet, phone, and game console versions of Minecraft are not compatible. Returning students can create more advanced projects that build on previous years. Students will work in pairs or teams for most of the program. 

Students can only be registered if their actual age matches the advertised age range of the class. If a registration is received that does not comply, we will have to cancel the registration and issue a refund. 

Dropoff no earlier than 15 minutes prior to class start time & pickup no later than 15 minutes after class end time, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Instructor Brittany Pietskowski

Passport to Flavors with Chef Vargas-Gonzalez (Ages 9-16) FOOD 126.52, CRN 26214

$425
Calendar Jul 27, 2026 at 9 am

Ages: 9 - 16

Calling all young food lovers - it’s time to travel the world through food! This hands-on cooking camp takes kids on a delicious journey across global cuisines, exploring flavors, techniques, and ingredients that make each culture unique. They will dive into fun daily themes like diner classics, Mexican favorites, Mediterranean feasts, Filipino street bites, and Southern comfort food, all while building confidence one tasty dish at a time. Throughout the week, young chefs will practice kitchen safety, learn proper knife skills, and discover how to balance flavors using herbs, spices, and sauces from around the world. They’ll also work together on team cooking challenges that inspire creativity, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

The menu for the week will be as follows:

Monday (Diner Classic) Fried Chicken Sliders, Sweet Potato Fries, House pickles, Banana Cream Pudding Shooters

Tuesday (Mexican )Steak and Cheese Quesadilla with street corn salad, pico de gallo and sour cream (Cilantro rice as a group)

Wednesday (Mediterranean) Beef kofta, fattoush salad, tzatziki and pita

Thursday (Filipino Bowl) Chicken skewers, with white rice, topped with fried shallots, pickled carrots, scallions, cucumber

Friday (Southern Vibes) Baked Mac and Cheese, Pulled Pork, Slaw and Cornbread

Please alert us to any food allergies upon registration & bring a food safe container each day for leftovers to go home.

Dropoff no earlier than 8.45am & pickup no later than 3.15pm, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted

Minecraft Designers (age 11-14) YUTH 093.52, CRN 26228

$199
Calendar Jul 27, 2026 at 1 pm

Ages: 11 - 14

If you love the game Minecraft and always wanted to design your own world, this class is for you! Learn how to create a custom map, design structures to share between worlds, build with Redstone and Command blocks, and create custom textures for you to import at home or share with friends. Students must have the Java version of Minecraft to take this class. Tablet, phone, and game console versions of Minecraft are not compatible. Returning students can create more advanced projects that build on previous years. Students will work in pairs or teams for most of the program.

Students can only be registered if their actual age matches the advertised age range of the class. If a registration is received that does not comply, we will have to cancel the registration and issue a refund. 

Dropoff no earlier than 15 minutes prior to class start time & pickup no later than 15 minutes after class end time, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Instructor Brittany Pietskowski

Python Programmers (age 8-10) YUTH 100.51, CRN 26137

$199
Calendar Aug 3, 2026 at 9 am

Ages: 8 - 10

Want to learn the world's fastest-growing programming language favored by Google, NASA, YouTube, and the CIA? Learn how to code with Python to create engaging apps and games. Each lesson takes you step-by-step on a programming path that will let you challenge friends with fun content you create from start to finish! Returning students can create more advanced projects that build on previous years. Students will work in pairs or teams for most of the program. 

Students can only be registered if their actual age matches the advertised age range of the class. If a registration is received that does not comply, we will have to cancel the registration and issue a refund. 

Dropoff no earlier than 15 minutes prior to class start time & pickup no later than 15 minutes after class end time, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Instructor Brittany Pietskowski

Python Programmers (age 11-14) YUTH 100.52, CRN 26138

$199
Calendar Aug 3, 2026 at 1 pm

Ages: 11 - 14

Want to learn the world's fastest-growing programming language favored by Google, NASA, YouTube, and the CIA? Learn how to code with Python to create engaging apps and games. Each lesson takes you step-by-step on a programming path that will let you challenge friends with fun content you create from start to finish! Returning students can create more advanced projects that build on previous years. Students will work in pairs or teams for most of the program. 

Students can only be registered if their actual age matches the advertised age range of the class. If a registration is received that does not comply, we will have to cancel the registration and issue a refund. 

Dropoff no earlier than 15 minutes prior to class start time & pickup no later than 15 minutes after class end time, both signed for by parents or guardians only.

No Uber, Lyft or Taxi’s permitted.

Instructor Brittany Pietskowski





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