About COOKSMART

COOKSMART provides hands-on cooking, nutrition, and food literacy programs for children across the GTA. Our programs combine cooking with nutrition education, life skills, science, creativity, and social-emotional learning to help children build confidence in the kitchen and develop positive relationships with food.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organized Program Coordinator & Instructor to join our team during the school year and ideally grow with COOKSMART long-term.

Role Overview

This is a unique role combining teaching, curriculum development, program coordination, and operations.

You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with children while also helping develop the recipes, lessons, resources, and systems behind our programs. This role is ideal for an educator or aspiring educator who enjoys the creative and hands-on parts of teaching and wants experience in curriculum development and program leadership outside of a traditional classroom setting.

The position may grow in responsibility and hours based on availability, experience, and organizational needs.

Responsibilities

- Teach engaging cooking, nutrition, and food literacy programs for children and youth
- Develop and adapt recipes, lesson plans, activities, and curriculum resources
- Create age-appropriate programming aligned with educational and food literacy goals
- Help develop new school, community, workshop, and seasonal programs
- Prepare program materials, equipment, ingredients, and teaching resources
- Manage and organize program equipment, supplies, and inventory
- Opportunity to grow into training and staff management position
- Coordinate program logistics and ensure instructors have the materials needed for successful delivery
- Adapt programming for different ages, abilities, dietary needs, and learning environments
- Support food safety, allergy management, and safe kitchen practices
- Assist with training and supporting instructors as needed




- Monitor program quality and identify opportunities to improve lessons and program delivery
- Support school and community partnerships, special events, and workshops
- Assist with general program operations and planning throughout the year
- Contribute ideas and take ownership of projects as the role develops

Who We're Looking For

We’re looking for someone who is responsible, engaging, detail-oriented, creative, dependable, organized, and genuinely enjoys working with children. You should be comfortable both leading a group independently and working behind the scenes to deliver strong programs.

This could be a great fit for someone studying or working in:

- Education / Teacher Education
- Nutrition or Food Studies
- Special needs education - autism and developmental challenges
- Early Childhood Education
- Child & Youth Studies
- Recreation or Community Programming
- Family Studies
- Health Sciences
- Culinary Education
- A related field

Qualifications

- Experience teaching, instructing, coaching, or working with children for a minimum of 2 years
- Strong communication and group-management skills
- Excellent organization and time-management skills
- Comfortable working independently and taking initiative
- Interest in curriculum, lesson, or program development
- Comfortable working with food and teaching basic cooking techniques
- Ability to travel to program locations within Mississauga, Oakville, and surrounding areas
- Access to a vehicle is essential, particularly for transporting program materials
- Safe Food Handling and First Aid/CPR preferred or willingness to obtain




- Successful Vulnerable Sector Check required
- Ability to life 25 lbs without physical limitations

Experience in a formal classroom is not required. We value people who are creative, adaptable, confident with children, and excited to share empowering content.

Why Join COOKSMART?

- Gain hands-on teaching experience outside of a traditional classroom workplace
- Develop real-world experience creating curriculum, lessons, and educational resources
- Have creative input into the programs you teach
- Work with children in small, interactive, hands-on learning environments and classrooms
- Build experience in operations, program development, and leadership
- Flexible scheduling for some aspects of the job
- Opportunity for increased responsibility and leadership
- Potential for continued work during school breaks, summer camps,

For educators and future teachers, this role offers the opportunity to focus on many of the most rewarding parts of education—creating engaging lessons, building relationships with students, developing curriculum, and seeing learning happen in real time—within a flexible, hands-on environment.

Schedule

Programming throughout the school year will include:

- Daytime school programs and workshops (Sept 30- June 2027)
- After-school programs (8 weeks per season during school year)
- Curriculum and program development (flexible hours)
- Special events and community programs

Scheduling and hours may vary throughout the year based on program needs

Application Notes

We review applications as they are received and encourage interested candidates to apply early.

We are particularly interested in candidates looking for a role they can grow into and continue with beyond one school year, including future summer programming and leadership opportunities.

Pay: $22.00-$26.00 per hour

Expected hours: 15.0 – 35.0 per week

Work Location: In person

📌 Program Coordinator & Instructor (Mississauga)
🏢 COOKSMART
📍 Mississauga