As students head back to school, we’re celebrating a partner that shows what it means to nurture your community: Play Study Win’s afterschool program at Hamilton Grange Middle School in Manhattan.
Led by youth development leader Carlos Sanchez, Hamilton Grange has been one of our most consistent and dynamic partner sites. Carlos has collaborated with The Sylvia Center for over a decade–from Grand Street to SoBro, and now with Play Study Win–routinely bringing us into sites where students are excited to cook, learn, and try new things.
Hamilton Grange is no exception. This summer, we ran a 5-week program built around global cuisines and heritage diets. Play Study Win’s international theme took students to a new region of the world each week–and our seasonal plant-based recipes followed suit.
Consistency Creates Confidence
“Hamilton Grange is just so consistently good,” said TSC Educator Yesenia Arrunategui. “They have wonderful leadership and great support staff. And that helps us create consistency for the students, which is so important.”
This dependable environment makes it easier for students to stay engaged and build on what they’ve learned. Many have worked with Yesenia across multiple programs, and she’s seen the impact of this consistency.
“It helps us to see clearly who has leadership skills and who needs a bit more support,” she says. “Over time, we encourage the students to give each other that support. And this really helps with their personal growth, excitement, and confidence.”
This peer-to-peer teaching is a cornerstone of the program. “Their culinary skills improve so fast,” confirms Yesenia. “Not just from practice, but because they actively teach and assist their classmates. It also helps the class as a whole try new ingredients and dishes, because they really feel like a team.”
Meals That Matter
Students also stay engaged because the food is meaningful to them. They’re not making unfamiliar dishes–they’re putting a new spin on meals they know and love. This summer, they cooked Chopped Cheese with mushrooms, Tofu Chorizo tacos, and Feijoada, a Brazilian black bean stew.
“The students want to create dishes they’re used to,” says Yesenia. “So we create plant-based versions, and it’s awesome to see their reactions. It helps them try new things, while thinking about small changes they can make to their current favorites and creating healthy and delicious meals. But eating is really their favorite part!”
This fall, we’re returning for our biggest season yet at Hamilton Grange: 10 weeks, 20 sessions, and more than 50 students. Play Study Win believes that the best way to support students is through active, hands-on enrichment after school–and we couldn’t agree more. By partnering with programs like theirs, we’re helping young people find confidence, build leadership skills, and connect with each other through food.
And yes–a really good meal helps, too.
