Calling all youth, ages 10 – 21, interested in being part of the team at the Ascension Culinary Institute (ACI)! This is the 19th year ACI is accepting applications for the summer/fall/winter program.

If you’re interested in cooking, experiencing new foods and culture, learning cooking techniques, being part of a team and having fun while being safe, this is the program for you.

Class starts Tuesday, September 16 and will be held once every Tuesday from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM. 

If you need more information please text Chef Paul at 212.203.8759 or email him at aci@ascensionchurchnyc.org

Check out the video from our last ACI Gala 2025!

Our program begins on September 16, 2025.

ACI is a program designed for teenagers and young adults to learn cooking techniques, while having fun in a safe environment. Aside from learning how to cook and knowing their way around a kitchen, this program builds teamwork, camaraderie, self-confidence and a taste for the unknown.
 
Each Tuesday evening a group of aspiring young chefs comes to the church community center kitchen at 6:30 PM and cooks for three hours. They learn to prep, sear, sauté, braise, make sauces, and slice and dice. They're taught French and Italian culinary terms, health and safety issues, as well as to “clean-as you-go”. 
 
The young chefs set a formal table in the rectory dining room where the food is eaten and discussed--and no one leaves until the kitchen is cleaner than they found it.
 
The program culminates with an annual fund raising dinner where the new chefs prepare a seven-course meal for 150 + guests and are awarded a certificate of completion. There are several entertainers that perform throughout the evening as well.