After-School Children’s Cooking Instructor

Sticky Fingers Cooking; Palm Harbor (FL); On-site; USD 4,400 - 6,800; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Grocery reimbursement

Mobile cooking kit provided

Flexible part-time schedule

Training & admin work paid

Job summary

Sticky Fingers Cooking® is seeking enthusiastic Chef Instructors to bring hands-on cooking and nutrition curriculum to children and teens ages 3–18 in after-school enrichment programs across Florida. This part-time role features weekday afternoon classes," about 1 hour of instruction plus prep, with a $55 per class rate and grocery reimbursement.

Instructors will lead engaging, hands-on lessons and build confidence in cooking and healthy eating.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children, teaching, coaching, childcare, or related field is a plus.
• Availability at least 2 weekdays per week between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
• Reliable transportation to transport cooking kit and groceries to locations.

Responsibilities

• Lead hour-long cooking enrichment classes for groups of approximately 8–14 students.
• Guide students through kid-tested recipes and age-appropriate kitchen techniques.
• Teach practical skills such as measuring, mixing, chopping, food preparation, and kitchen safety.
• Introduce students to nutrition, food science, history, geography, and different cultures through cooking.
• Encourage students to try new foods and develop confidence in the kitchen.
• Review weekly curriculum and recipes before each class.
• Independently purchase fresh ingredients for assigned classes.
• Transport your provided cooking kit and ingredients to the teaching location.
• Arrive 20–30 minutes before class to prepare your teaching space and ingredients.

Job description

Children's Cooking Instructor – After-School Enrichment

Part‑Time | Weekday Afternoons | $55 Per Class + Grocery Reimbursement

Are you ready to TURNIP the BEET on what Kids Eat®?

Do you love cooking, connecting with kids, and creating experiences that are both educational and fun?

Sticky Fingers Cooking® is looking for enthusiastic, dependable Chef Instructors to bring our hands‑on cooking and nutrition curriculum to children and teens ages 3–18.

This is more than teaching kids how to follow a recipe. You'll help young people build confidence, discover new foods, develop real kitchen skills, and become curious about nutrition, culture, geography, and the world around them.

If you're a culinary professional, educator, childcare professional, college student, or simply someone who loves cooking and working with kids, we'd love to meet you!

Why You'll Love Being a Chef Instructor

• Make a meaningful impact: Help children develop lifelong cooking, nutrition, and healthy‑eating habits.
• Enjoy meaningful part‑time work: Classes are typically scheduled on weekday afternoons, making this a great fit for educators, culinary professionals, students, retirees, parents, and other professionals seeking flexible work.
• Bring your personality to the classroom: Our classes are hands‑on, energetic, creative, and designed to keep kids engaged.
• Be fully supported: We provide the curriculum, recipes, training, and mobile cooking equipment you need to teach with confidence.
• Build valuable professional skills: Strengthen your teaching, communication, classroom‑management, leadership, culinary, and presentation skills.
• Work with a supportive team: You'll receive individualized support while becoming part of a team that is passionate about making a difference in children's lives.

What You'll Do

As a Chef Instructor, you'll be the face of Sticky Fingers Cooking® in the classroom and create a safe, welcoming, and memorable learning environment.

Teach & Inspire

• Lead hour‑long cooking enrichment classes for groups of approximately 8–14 students.
• Guide students through kid‑tested recipes and age‑appropriate kitchen techniques.
• Teach practical skills such as measuring, mixing, chopping, food preparation, and kitchen safety.
• Introduce students to nutrition, food science, history, geography, and different cultures through cooking.
• Encourage students to try new foods and develop confidence in the kitchen.
• Create an inclusive environment where every child feels successful and supported.

Prepare & Organize

• Review weekly curriculum and recipes before each class.
• Independently purchase fresh ingredients for assigned classes.
• Transport your provided cooking kit and ingredients to the teaching location.
• Arrive approximately 20–30 minutes before class to prepare your teaching space and ingredients.
• Set up, teach, and clean up after each class.

Lead with Professionalism

• Build positive relationships with students, school/site staff, and families.
• Maintain a safe, clean, organized, and engaging classroom.
• Reliably complete assigned multi‑week sessions, typically 4–12 weeks.

Compensation & Perks

$55 per one‑hour class

The $55 class rate represents approximately two hours of compensated work, including preparation, setup, one hour of instruction, and cleanup.

• Teaching: $27.50/hour equivalent
• Grocery reimbursement: $12 per class, plus additional reimbursement when needed
• Training & administrative work: $20/hour
• Cooking equipment: A mobile cooking kit is provided
• Schedule: Classes are generally held Monday–Friday between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM

For example, you may teach the same class every Monday and Wednesday from 2:30–3:30 PM for the duration of a session.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for people who are reliable, enthusiastic, organized, and comfortable taking the lead in a classroom environment.

You should have:

• A genuine interest in cooking and working with children.
• Experience working with children, teaching, coaching, childcare, camps, culinary education, or a related field is a plus.
• Availability at least 2 weekdays per week between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
• The ability to commit to an entire class session, typically 4–12 weeks.
• Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license to transport your cooking kit and groceries to assigned locations.
• The ability to arrive approximately 20–30 minutes before class.
• The ability to confidently manage groups of approximately 8–14 children.
• The ability to lift and transport up to 30 lbs.
• Strong communication, organization, and time‑management skills.
• A positive, patient, and energetic approach to working with children.

You don't need to be a professional chef to be successful in this role. We're looking for people who are passionate about cooking, learning, teaching, and helping kids thrive.

Required Before Teaching

• Successful completion of a fingerprint background screening through the Florida Clearinghouse (https://info.flclearinghouse.com/).
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification, or willingness to obtain certification before your first teaching day.

What to Expect During the Hiring Process

We keep our hiring process personal and straightforward:

Step 1 – Phone Interview
A 15–30 minute conversation to learn about your experience, availability, and interest in the role.

Step 2 – Zoom Interview & Teaching Demonstration
A 45–60 minute interview that includes a short teaching demonstration so we can see your communication and teaching style in action.

We typically make hiring decisions shortly after the Zoom interview.

Once a conditional offer is accepted and the background screening is successfully completed, we'll move directly into onboarding and required safety training.

About Sticky Fingers Cooking®

We're an independently owned and operated Sticky Fingers Cooking® franchise dedicated to cultivating "cool"inary curiosity in kids.

We believe in making cooking fun, educational, and accessible for children, and we couldn't do it without passionate instructors like YOU!

Ready to Get Cooking?

If you're looking for flexible, meaningful part‑time work where you can cook, teach, and make a difference, this could be your perfect recipe.

Bring your energy. Bring your creativity. Bring your love of cooking. We'll provide the rest.

All employees must undergo a fingerprint background check.