Summer baking camps foster youth

By Ian Sparks

Eagle Intern

JustCakeIt!, an Oxford bakery  owned and operated by Crystal Dunn, is offering a community service that is unique to her passion.

Dunn and her business hosted a baking camp for a youth group recently from Como called appropriately, “In the Mix.”

The two-day camp taught a variety of skills that apply reading, comprehension and math while learning culinary and entrepreneurial skills.

“We teach them how to bake, how to use scales, how to read a recipe,” Dunn said. “On Monday they were in the kitchen, in the mix and just doing a lot of hands-on work. On Thursday, they came back and to finish decorating their cakes.”

The program focuses mainly on how to ice, package, travel with and cut the cakes they make, but also serves as a means of showing children different career opportunities.

“That’s the main focus, to expose children to some different entrepreneurial skills and a different career path that people typically see as a hobby but it can be something more,” Dunn said.

The youth group is a part of E.D.U.C.A.T.E Inc., a nonprofit founded by a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, and Como native, Lataisha Jackson. Like Lataisha, Dunn is from North Panola County, making this special for her.

“Lataisha and I were talking last summer about how we can give these kids from our home more access to different opportunities.”

Going forward, Dunn envisions not just the kids at E.D.U.C.A.T.E. coming to her camp, but kids in the area participating also.

Upcoming camps will be announced on the business website at www.justcakeit.net .

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