Cooking up growth opportunities in Indiana

Opportunity Enterprises helps those with developmental disabilities cook, learn and create their way to enriching lives

The cooking class looks like something you’d see on TV. Ten students at workstations chopping, whisking, sautéing, the sounds and smells of home cooking filling the air.

But if you look closely at the kitchen tools in hand, you’ll see some adaptive equipment at work, like safety knives. And soon, more adaptive equipment will arrive—including a peeler that can be operated with just one hand; a slicer safe for someone with visual impairments; and larger utensils that are easy to hold and maneuver for those with coordination issues.

The cooking class is a favorite learning activity offered as part of the curriculum at Opportunity Enterprises (OE), a non-profit operating in three counties in northwest Indiana.

By going through the process of following a recipe and preparing ingredients, OE’s clients—individuals with disabilities—develop cooking skills, learn about nutrition, socialize with peers, and take important steps toward self-sufficiency.

Based in the city of Valparaiso, OE delivers programs and support to around 1,000 people with disabilities in the region every year. Each week alone, more than 250 clients attend their in-demand day programs, operated in a classroom-like setting. Clients are enrolled in a range of courses and activities, such as the cooking class, depending on the client’s learning stream and goals.

The proof of OE’s success is in the proverbial pudding.

“We keep outcomes on the learning goals of all our clients,” says Shannon Keaton, OE’s curriculum director. “Right now we’re showing that approximately 87% of our clients are meeting their individualized learning goals.”