York City Students to Dish Up “Belonging Banquet” After Summer of Cooking, Culture, and Connection a

York City Students to Dish Up “Belonging Banquet” After Summer of Cooking,

Culture, and Connection at YCP’s Center for Community Engagement

YORK, Pa.

— After eight weeks of blending culinary arts, culture, and connection, eleven York

City School District students are ready to showcase their skills, and their stories, at The

Belonging Banquet, the culminating celebration of Morales Kitchen’s Cooking Up Connection:

The Recipe for Belonging program.

The banquet will be held Friday, August 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM at York College’s Gunter-Smith

Center for Community Engagement at 59 East Market Street. Guests will be treated to a menu

created entirely by the students, each dish reflecting lessons learned about identity, belonging,

and the power of sharing a meal.

Created by Liz Morales of Morales Kitchen LLC, Cooking Up Connection is a culinary

arts-based youth development program that uses food as a medium to build identity, community,

and emotional wellness. The program, offered free to participants thanks to a $6,950 grant from

the Rotary Club of York, launched in February 2025 and has already reached over 400 students

in the York City School District. This summer’s intensive eight-week version gave participants

the opportunity to work in York College’s commercial kitchen, learn from guest chefs, participate

in storytelling workshops, and explore leadership, creativity, and cultural pride.

“This program isn’t just about recipes, it’s about recognition,

” said Liz Morales, creator of

Cooking Up Connection.

“These young people have spent the summer discovering that their

voices matter, their cultures are beautiful, and they have the power to bring people together. The

Belonging Banquet is their way of saying: ‘We set the table, and everyone has a seat.

’”

For Carly Legg-Wood, Executive Director of the Center for Community Engagement, the

banquet represents more than a meal, it’s a vision brought to life.

“Cooking Up Connection

embodies everything we believe in at the CCE: youth empowerment, creative learning, and

community healing,

” Legg-Wood said.

“When young people have a safe space to lead, create,and share their culture, the whole community benefits. The Belonging Banquet is a celebration

of their growth, and we’re honored to host it here after watching them learn in our kitchen for the

last eight weeks.

”

Throughout the summer, students have explored what it means to belong, both in the kitchen

and in the wider community. At the banquet, they’ll present their final culinary projects alongside

stories of how the program has shaped their confidence, teamwork skills, and sense of identity.

“The dishes you’ll see on the table are the end product,

” Morales added.

“But the real magic is

the transformation you see in the students themselves. They’re not just cooking food — they’re

cooking up connection, leadership, and hope.

”

Guests attending the banquet were asked to RSVP ahead of time.

●

Event Details:

○

The Belonging Banquet

○

Friday, August 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM

○

York College Gunter-Smith Center for Community Engagement

○

59 East Market Street, York, PA

Media wanting to cover the banquet may RSVP to Julie Loeper by Friday, Aug. 15 at 4:00 p.m.

at jloeper@ycp.edu or by calling/texting 717-668-6057.

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Established in 1787, York College of Pennsylvania is a private, four-year college located in the city of York, a hub of

arts and industry between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Housed on 190 picturesque acres, the College is known for its

focus on experiential learning and community engagement, serving over 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students

in more than 70 baccalaureate majors, along with 30+ professional graduate degree and certificate programs. Deeply

rooted in the liberal arts and recognized for excellence in its professional business, education, engineering, and

nursing programs, York is ranked among the nation’s Best Value Schools by Niche. The College’s robust recreation

and athletics program is among the best in the region and is home to 24 NCAA Division lll sports teams and 30+

intramural sports. A Princeton Review Best Northeastern College, York prides itself on its experienced, engaged

faculty, its high-impact and student-centric philosophy, and its long-standing commitment to affordability and

accessibility.