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Travel Workshops - Cultural Kitchen

The World Beyond the Classroom

Opening Minds

“…When I learned about the huge differences in culture and ethnicity of different people, it gave me a huge outlook on people that I had never thought of before. I gained a lot of respect and caution as to what may offend other people. If every single person in Portland tried this program, I believe we would have an amazingly respectful and diverse city. I now have a much more broad view of the culture around me and how each individual person functions in line with their ethnic backgrounds.”
Avalon, Grade 9

“I met a man from India who said, ‘It’s time to become a global citizen,’ and he’s right.”
Jemiah J, Cultural Kitchen participant.

Strong Educational Standards

The Cultural Kitchen curriculum is provides a rewarding cross-cultural experience for participants. In their classrooms, students choose a country to study and choose a manner in which to present their research. Cultural learning exercises foster interest in cultural understanding, strengthen group communication skills, and teach students to explore the world and to appreciate the people in it. The culmination of the program occurs at the hostel when students cook a meal from their focus country, dine with travelers from around the world, engage travelers in a country presentation and experience an overnight at the hostel.

The following morning, students reflect on their experience and what they learned, thinking about how they can use cultural understanding to benefit their community and our world. Students who complete the Cultural Kitchen program continue to demonstrate enthusiasm for learning about new cultures and approach the world and its people with more open minds.

Teachers value Cultural Kitchen as a powerful, unique, and meaningful learning experience for their students.

“My students walked out with a more positive attitude about people they do not know. Cultural Kitchen aligns perfectly with my classroom. My focus is on group work and cultural awareness. This program allows my students to research various French-speaking countries as well as interact (something I cannot accomplish easily in the classroom). Many times the shyest student has the best conversations with hostel guests!”
Kim Gray, Benito Juarez High School teacher

Cultural Kitchen - Program Structure

The Cultural Kitchen program at Hostelling International – Portland, Northwest can be completed in a minimum of five classroom sessions with homework, in addition to the hostel overnight and reflection.

The Journey Begins introduces participants to the program, teaches them about hostelling and our mission, fosters interest in cultural understanding, strengthens group communication skills, and establishes the focus country to be studied. Hostelling International – Portland, Northwest staff teach this session in the students’ classroom.

The People and Their Culture engages students in 5 hours of lessons based on the Coverdell WorldWise Building Bridges curriculum and inquiry-based research. Students identify and articulate their own cultural identities, thus providing a base for comparison when they research the focus country’s celebratory traditions, social norms, popular past times, cuisine, arts, history, or any additional cultural topics of interest to the participants. Students choose a manner in which to present their topics of study at the hostel for an audience of international travelers.

Hostelling International – Portland, Northwest provides participants the opportunity to stay overnight. Participants work as a team to create a meal based on the cuisine of their focus country and spend time interacting with local volunteers and hostellers from around the globe. Students dine with international travelers, present what they’ve learned about their focus country to them, and engage in a group discussion about the relevance and importance of cultural understanding in our world today.

Window to the World provides participants with the opportunity to review and evaluate their Cultural Kitchen experience. Students reflect on their experience and what they learned, thinking about how they can use cultural understanding to benefit their community and our world. Students create a scrapbook that highlights their learning and receive a Hostelling International USA youth membership.

Check our Events Calendar for our workshop schedule.

For questions or to schedule a workshop at your school or club, please contact our

educational programming coordinator or call 503-239-0030.

Want to lead this workshop? We are interested in well-traveled, articulate travelers who have a story to share. Contact our volunteer coordinator to make arrangements, and check out our volunteer opportunities.

The Oregon Council of Hostelling International USA provides travel education to help promote HI-USA’s mission to “gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.”