Young Chefs Academy Pittsburgh Hosts a Pizza Workshop with Alex Highsmith

On November 18th, 2025, the teaching kitchen at Young Chefs Academy Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) felt a little different, in the best way. A Steelers flag hung proudly above the counters, aprons were tied in a hurry, and the room buzzed with anticipation. Alex Highsmith of the Pittsburgh Steelers joined Youth Places for a memorable, hands-on experience that blended culinary creativity with real-world confidence.

This wasn’t just a celebrity stop-in. It was a meaningful community moment, supported by Steelers Community Relations and the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation, and designed to leave young people with skills they can actually use.

A Pizza-Making Workshop That Kept Everyone Moving

A great pizza making workshop is equal parts structure and spontaneity. At Young Chefs Academy, students don’t simply “make food”, they learn process. They practice patience. They build competence with their own hands.

During the session, students worked through the essentials that make cooking click:

• Portioning and shaping dough with intention (and a little flour on everything)
  
• Measuring and mixing skills that turn guesswork into repeatable success
  
• Choosing toppings and building pizzas with personality—down to playful details like olives, cheese, and carefully placed sauce
  

Watching young chefs lean in, collaborate, and take ownership of their work is the kind of transformation that happens fast. One minute it’s dough. The next, it’s pride.

Etiquette Lesson: Confidence Beyond the Kitchen

Cooking is a life skill. Etiquette is a life amplifier.

Alongside the culinary work, the group participated in an etiquette lesson focused on respectful communication, self-presentation, and awareness—tools that travel well, whether students are at school, at an interview, or around a dinner table. It’s part of what makes culinary education for kids so powerful: it nurtures independence while reinforcing community-minded habits.

Why This Matters for Youth Places—and for Pittsburgh

When organizations like Youth Places partner with Young Chefs Academy, students gain more than a fun afternoon. They get a supportive environment for learning, teamwork, and self-efficacy, hallmarks of strong youth programming.

Events like this also spotlight what Young Chefs Academy does best: structured culinary lessons for children that feel exciting, approachable, and genuinely empowering.

Keep Cooking with Young Chefs Academy Pittsburgh

If your family is looking for cooking classes for kids or engaging culinary workshops for kids, Young Chefs Academy Pittsburgh offers experiences that go far beyond recipes. From skill-building sessions to group events, the kitchen is a place where confidence becomes tangible—one finished dish at a time.