RAPID CITY, S.D. — Nell’s Table is expanding its summer cooking camp program for 2026 after a successful first year that drew dozens of children to the teaching kitchen in Rapid City.

The program will grow from 10 camps over six weeks in 2025 to 16 camps spread across 10 weeks this summer. Camps will run from June through August at the teaching kitchen on Mount Rushmore Road. According to the business, seats are still available for 10 of the camps.

The expansion follows what owner and culinary director Marinell Simpson described as an overwhelmingly positive response to the inaugural season, which served 76 children and received five-star reviews from participating families.

This year, Nell’s Table will also award 10 full scholarships to Rapid City-area students who are identified by school counselors as having an interest in cooking and food. Each scholarship will cover the full cost of a week-long camp session.

Simpson said the camps were created to fill a gap she noticed in youth programming locally.

“When I looked at the summer camp landscape in Rapid City, I kept seeing the same gap — there was nothing teaching kids to actually cook,” Simpson said in a press release. “I was a teacher at Stevens High School, and I have never stopped thinking like an educator. I wanted kids in Rapid City to have that experience.”

The camps focus on practical cooking techniques and food education rather than simple food-based crafts. Campers learn recipe skills, kitchen techniques and food preparation while being introduced to new ingredients and cuisines.

Simpson said the goal is to help children build confidence in the kitchen while encouraging them to explore food in a new way.

The 2026 lineup includes camps for children ages 7 to 17, with beginner and advanced sessions as well as a French pastry camp for teens. Class sizes are limited to 12 students, with at least three adults supervising each camp. Instructors include classroom teachers, certified food safety managers, professional culinary staff and guest chefs.

Nell’s was founded in 2019 by Simpson and operates as a gourmet kitchen, artisan bakery and espresso bar rooted in French culinary traditions. The business says Nell’s Table serves as its teaching kitchen and event venue for classes, camps and private events.