GROW. EAT. SHARE. LEARN.

RIVER FOREST, MANAGER

Sarah has worked at The Schoolhouse since 2021. She loves tackling new recipes and techniques, and her favorite things to bake are mirror glaze mousse cakes, macarons and cute Kawaii treats. Sarah is delighted to share her love of baking and cooking with children! She loves to encourage kids to keep trying, even if it doesn’t come out perfectly the first time. She lives with her husband, two children, cats and chickens in Oak Park.

RIVER FOREST, INSTRUCTOR

Jill is the mom of three active kids and brings her years of culinary experience to Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio. Jill was a culinary instructor with the NFP program Common Threads for many years and has worked as a chef in several kitchens across Chicago. Jill studied culinary arts at Kendall College and brings her passion for cooking technique to our students with warmth and ease.

RIVER FOREST, INSTRUCTOR

Audra, aka The Baker Chick, is a mother of three, food blogger, recipe developer and photographer living in Oak Park. Originally a Cheesehead from Wisconsin, she lived in New York from 2006-2016, working as an actor for several years and she taught herself to bake in her itty-bitty kitchen. The Baker Chick blog began in 2011, and Audra continues to add beautiful new recipes. Check it out!

Abbey is a junior at OPRF she loves staying busy by gardening, reading, playing tennis, listening to music, hanging out with her friends, and of course baking! Her favorite things to bake being strawberry shortcake and focaccia bread. She has loved to bake and cook since she got her Easy Bake Oven for her 6th birthday, which she always loved using, especially with her younger brother! She has been working at Schoolhouse since August of 2022 and has loved every second of it especially playing charades with the kids!

Caroline attends Drake University in Des Moines, IA. She is currently studying biochemistry, public health, and Spanish. She is also a National Delegate for Girl Scouts and loves spending time mentoring the younger Girl Delegates. In her free time, she loves to do arts & crafts with her friends, bake, and sing!

Eva Spangler is student at Indiana University studying Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics. At school, she is a data analyst for The Kelley School of Business's Living Learning Community and is an active member of the ballroom dance team. Her favorite recipe to make is Soft Pretzels and she loves teaching how to create friendship bracelets. In her free time she loves to create nail art and ride her bike. Eva started at Schoolhouse in 2020.

Grace is a junior at OPRF. She enjoys cooking and baking with her twin sister. Grace loves everything about music including listening to her favorite artists, creating and producing songs, singing in choir, and especially going to concerts. Grace started working at Schoolhouse in September 2022 and she has a blast working with the kids!

Lindsey is a student at OPRF and she's been working at Schoolhouse since 2022! She loves to spend time with her friends, family, and adorable labradoodle, Mocha. In her free time, Lindsey enjoys baking/cooking, dancing and cozying up with a good book. Her love for cooking started when she was very young and took interest in cooking dinner with her mom and baking in Michigan with her grandma. She now enjoys teaching cooking because she thinks it is a very important skill to learn and loves to see the creativity that comes from it.

Madeline is a freshman at Penn State University majoring in premedicine with a minor in disability studies. She started teaching at Schoolhouse in 2021 but has been involved since it opened! Madeline loves to cook and bake. Her favorite meal to prepare is linguine and clams in a white wine sauce. She contributes her cooking knowledge to her mom and grandmother. She enjoys teaching cooking skills while encouraging the fun and creative sides. She really loves tasting and eating all the creations!

Remi is a senior at OPRFHS. She likes to cook a variety of things. The first thing she learned to make was a quiche. Remi learned how to cook from her parents. She enjoys cooking because it’s a creative outlet and likes to share her creations with others. Remi plans to study computer science in college which is a passion of mine and is really tech savvy. She also love dogs and cats. Remi started with Schoolhouse in August 2022 and loves every moment of it.

Sarah Mae is a junior at OPRF and enjoys her History and English classes! In her spare time Sarah plays tennis, and hangs out with friends. Sarah Mae has loved being in the kitchen since her dad taught her to cook at a young age and has always had fun watching shows like Top Chef with her family. Her favorite things to make are homemade pasta and chocolate chip cookies. Sarah Mae has been at Schoolhouse since October 2022 and loves connecting with the kiddos!

Sophie is a student at North Carolina State University. She loves being creative and hands on when it comes to cooking, crafts, and painting nails. She loves baking for her friends and family, especially when it comes to decorating cupcakes, cakes, and pies! She's been baking since she was 5 years old and loves teaching kids new skills and seeing their passion for cooking/baking. Sophie started working at Schoolhouse in May 2022.

Talia is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s of Public Health at Boston University where she focuses on youth chronic disease prevention. Talia loves sharing her passion for making food fun with everyone! She is a competitive distance runner, avid hiker, retired circus artist, and a born and raised Oak Parker. Talia started at Schoolhouse in 2016.

LEAD INSTRUCTOR + BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT / SCHOOL LIASON.
Alison is the mom of two bright boys. She brings her background in child development and hospitality to Schoolhouse Kitchen+Studio. Alison is a home educator that weaves cooking into the lesson plans to pique interests, connect, convey life skills, and bring learning to life. She has been teaching youth fitness classes in the Jefferson Park area and is trained in trauma-informed movement for children and teens. She’s fluent in conversational Spanish. Her hobbies are running, Latin dance, and all things fitness.

A New England native, Elizabeth has been living in Chicago for almost 15 years. Elizabeth moved to Chicago in 2008 to serve as a Corps Member with City Year Chicago. Since then, she has been working in the education and non-profit sectors. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has worked in neighborhoods across Chicago’s south and west sides and in fields ranging from STEM to the arts to resource development. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of the Arts in English from the University of New Hampshire and a Culinary Certificate from Kendall College.

In addition to cooking and baking, Elizabeth enjoys reading, traveling, yoga, getting tattoos, video chatting with her 2 1/2 year old nephew, and playing with her chubby cat, Nico!

Kristin has a culinary degree from Elgin Community College. She has been teaching private cooking lessons for over 10 years alongside a small catering business and brand new to The Schoolhouse Kitchen.

She loves to cook and craft with her grandchildren. She also loves to sew her own clothes. Her favorite dishes are those that are celebratory and can be shared when she and her husband entertain friends and family. The dishes include grilled paella, timpano(from the Big Night movie), and pork tacos.