A Day in the Kitchen: Rise Above Teens Learn the Art of Pasta from a Food Network Chef

During school vacation week, a dozen teens in foster care joined us for something a little different: aprons, flour-dusted countertops, and a real professional kitchen.

Rise Above partnered with Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg to host a hands-on pasta-making experience with Chef Evan Martin (@theflavors), a Food Network competitor, social media personality with half a million followers, and foster care alum.

The teens got the full experience. They cracked eggs, kneaded dough, hand-sliced fresh noodles, and then sat down together to eat exactly what they had made. No shortcuts, no pre-packaged ingredients: just the real thing, from scratch.

Chef Evan brought more than culinary expertise to the afternoon. He was open about his own journey through foster care, sharing his story alongside his skills in a way that clearly resonated with the youth. For many of them, seeing someone who had been where they are go on to build a career doing something he loves, and do it at that level, made the day about more than pasta.

Experiences like this one are at the heart of what Rise Above does: giving youth in foster care access to opportunities, mentors, and memories that belong entirely to them.

A sincere thank you to All One Credit Union for sponsoring the event, to Monty Tech for opening their kitchen and welcoming our youth, and to Chef Evan Martin for making it so meaningful.