Inside the Read’s Artspace building in downtown Bridgeport, students move throughout the kitchen, going from station to station as they cook, prep and check on their dishes. Pots simmer, knives chop, ovens ding and red baskets of fresh produce line the counters. Chef Mona Jackson calls out instructions, guiding hands, checking ingredients and keeping the flow steady.
She laughs as students bump into each other while learning the rhythm of the kitchen. “I’m the only chef in the building,” she says, referring to the artist community filled with painters, writers and other creatives. In this space, cooking is her form of art. Here, food is more than a meal. It is a tool for learning, a bridge to health and a path to independence.
Jackson’s journey to creating the Cook and Grow program began long before the classroom was established. The program uses cooking and gardening to address fast food diets, limited nutrition knowledge and a need for life skills in Bridgeport’s youth.
Growing up in Norwalk, she spent hours working in her father’s catering and cleaning business, learning about both cooking and work ethic. “I always cooked with my dad growing up,” she remembers. “We were his tasters. Had to clean the kitchen.”
After more than 25 years as a professional chef, a stint as a paralegal, and opening and closing her Panini Café during the economic crash, Jackson found herself reflecting on her purpose.
“So when the economy crashed, I started noticing kids,” she says. “I started noticing kids at a young age struggling with their health and confidence. They couldn’t run as easily, and it was affecting how they felt about themselves.”
Those observations became the spark for Cook and Grow, where students grow vegetables and herbs in a program garden and then cook with what they harvest.
Jackson wants them to taste the difference between produce pulled from the ground and the packaged produce they might see in a store. “That’s why I do a garden,” she explains, “to have the kids taste the difference from a hot house tomato to something that you go to your garden and pull off. Cucumbers, same way, totally different tastes.”
Chef Mona Jackson shows students how to safely cut apples during a Cook and Grow cooking lesson. Credit: Reginald David / CT Mirror
The lessons go far beyond the garden. Students learn how to read labels, shop smart and understand the economics behind their food choices.
Cooking also becomes a lens for cultural exploration. Tuscan vegetables one day, flavors from other continents the next. Jackson wants students to see that food does not belong to a single culture. “So to taste other cultures’ food and not get stuck on because I’m Black or I’m Hispanic,” she says.
Students also gain practical skills and confidence in the kitchen. Mistakes are real and consequences are immediate. “You got to know your measurements because if you put too much in, baby, you might as well throw everything out,” Jackson warns. The kitchen is a place of mentorship and growth. Former students return as assistants and sous chefs, helping the new participants and keeping the program’s community alive.
Students say the program is empowering.
Kendall Jackson, a senior at Bassick High School, says his favorite part is “doing the stuff to make the food I never cooked before. I like the fact that I keep cooking.”
Alexis Cunningham, who is also a senior at Bassick, appreciates the independence and life skills she is learning. “I didn’t know how to cook, so that’s why I did this. I can whip something up myself and eating out can be expensive.”
Classmate Treyvon Tomlinson sees the connection to family. “Because my mom is a chef, this can definitely help me,” he said. “I can cook with her.”
And Naijalee Roman, Jackson’s sous chef who also attends Bassick High School, says the program helped her improve her knife skills, try new foods and explore her culinary ambitions. “I was not that good, but Mona helped me with knife skills and prepping new stuff, like from other countries,” she said.
A student pours chicken broth into a measuring cup as part of a Cook and Grow class in Bridgeport. Credit: Reginald David / CT Mirror
Cook and Grow also connects students to career pathways. Seniors from Bridgeport public high schools travel several days a week for hands-on training and spend Mondays on professional development. Students prepare for the ServSafe Manager certification and gain access to internships and job opportunities funded through the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a program that supports job training and employment for young people. Through partnerships with local organizations, the program shows students that the skills they are learning can lead to real-world opportunities and careers.
The path has not been without obstacles. The program was originally housed at the downtown Bridgeport Public Library, where staff provided space, including a stove, sink and refrigerator, for classes. Together, they also built out a garden with more than 20 beds for students to grow their own ingredients. But a severe flood damaged the space and garden, forcing Jackson to refund tuition and relocate the program. She later moved Cook and Grow into its current home inside the artist community building, where, with support from community partners and former students, the program has continued to grow and thrive.
Chef Mona Jackson reviews a recipe with students as they prepare a dish during a Cook and Grow session. Credit: Reginald David / CT Mirror
Jackson hopes that her students leave the program not only knowing how to prepare a meal but understanding their own potential. “That they’re able to execute a recipe. To have confidence. Not be afraid of the stove,” she says.
Dining and Cooking