Welcome to Brisa Bakes!

From preparing various breads to creating delectable customized edible cookie dough, Brisa Bakes! offers a series of baking classes that will provide children and adolescents with psychiatric illness, intellectual disability, and hardship with hands on instruction in basic baking techniques.

Our hands-on baking classes have been specially curated for children and adolescents with psychiatric illness, intellectual disability, and hardship.

Each class is led by board-certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists who provide practical skill training and therapeutic support throughout each class.

Volunteers and professionals join along to create a caring and inclusive environment promoting skill development and self-actualization.

Join Brisa Bakes! and give your baker the opportunity to learn how to read and understand recipes, measure ingredients, mix batters, and bake delicious sweet and savory treats, all while gaining confidence in the kitchen!

  • Every week your baker will prepare a new and delicious treat! They’ll be given hands on instruction to confidently prepare a variety of sweet and savory sharable treats. Some items your baker may prepare include:

    • Brownies / Blondies

    • Edible Cookie Dough

    • Cinnamon Rolls

    • Layer Cakes

    • Cookies

    • Cupcakes

    • Artisanal Breads

    • Oatmeal Bars

    • Muffins

  • Our community classes run for 90 minutes. Each session will include approximately 60 minutes of active baking time with 30 minutes allotted for preparation and clean up.

    Our team of volunteer instructors will work alongside caregivers and their bakers to understand and execute the recipe of the day.

    Due to the time constraints of our classes, some items may need to be baked at home. Any recipes that require baking at home will be sent home in a disposable baking tray with detailed baking instructions.

  • Brisas Bakes! offers classes on a Pay What You Can sliding scale. The suggested course fee is $150 plus an additional $30 for supplies which includes all necessary baking equipment, materials, ingredients, and a recipe book to take home on the last day of class.

    Our Pay What You Can model allows families to participate in our classes regardless of means. We take care to ensure that everyone in our community has equal access to building skills, connection, and confidence in the kitchen with the Brisa Bakes! Team.

    For those unable to pay in full, we offer discounts and fee waivers based on need. To learn more about our Pay What You Can options, please complete the form below and someone from our organization will contact you to review options as soon as able.

    Pay What You Can

  • Brisa Bakes! classes are lead by Dr. Rachel Adelman, a Pediatrician and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, mom of six, and self-taught baker. Dr. Adelman founded The Brisa Foundation with the mission to provide opportunities that will enable youth and young adults to harness the power of authentic human connection through the thoughtful preparation of food and the sharing of meals and baked goods.

    Some classes may require additional support and Dr. Adelman will call on dedicated volunteers to assist with classes when necessary. All those who volunteer with the Brisa Foundation have completed background checks and have countless hours of experience working alongside children of all ages. The Brisa Foundation also supports volunteer hours from our adolescent community and will accept applications for volunteers ages 12 and up.

    If you or your child are interested in volunteering to assist in one of our classes, please email info@thebrisafoundation.com

  • In order to provide the most supportive environment for our bakers and their caregivers, classes are currently limited to 6 families.

    Registration is currently closed for our March session and will open again soon for our next session beginning Wednesday, April 16th. If you would like to be placed on our wait list for the next available class, please click here.

FAQs

  • The Brisa Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for all youth with special needs to harness the power of authentic human connection through the thoughtful preparation of food and the sharing of meals and baked goods regardless of means.

    For those able to pay in full, $150 of the total $180 fee is tax deductible! We also offer tax deductible sponsorship opportunities for those who would like to sponsor bakers who are unable to cover the full cost of our course and also accept donations which are used to help cover the cost of bringing Brisa Bakes! to more venues in the community.

  • Given our class is open to children of all ages with a wide range of developmental abilities, we require a caregiver to accompany each child.

    No skills are necessary to participate as a caregiver. Caregivers are asked to support their baker by helping with various tasks and redirecting focus and attention as needed.

  • No experience is necessary!

    The Brisa Bakes! team will guide each class by providing detailed instruction and hands on assistance.

  • Volunteers are required to submit an application and attend a brief interview with Dr. Adelman.

    The Brisa Foundation supports volunteer hours from our adolescent community and will accept applications for volunteers ages 12 and up.

    Once approved, any volunteer 18 years of age and older must also complete a background check and attend a single one-hour training session prior to joining a Brisa Bakes! class.

    To obtain additional information about becoming a Brisa Bakes! Volunteer, please complete the following form: