About the Conference

The Teaching Kitchen Research Conference (TKRC) is the leading forum for researchers, educators, and students to present original research, share innovations, and identify best practices for scaling effective teaching kitchen models. In its fourth iteration, the 2026 TKRC builds on the success of the 2018, 2020, and 2022 conferences, which engaged more than 3,000 participants worldwide and showcased over 200 peer-reviewed abstracts. Hosted by the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, the 2026 conference will focus on strengthening the role of teaching kitchens in advancing health and wellbeing across clinical, community, and educational settings.

Conference Goals

The 2026 TKRC aims to:

  1. Showcase and Advance Original Research – Present high-quality studies on implementation science, clinical effectiveness, cost-efficiency, best practices, and scalable teaching kitchen models.
  2. Inform and Strengthen Future Research – Disseminate evidence and insight that support reproducible, collaborative demonstration projects and accelerate growth in the teaching kitchen field.
  3. Advance Cross-Disciplinary Innovation – Convene researchers, clinical and public health professionals, culinary and nutrition educators, payers, policymakers, investors, administrators, and leaders in food systems and community-based organizations to foster multidisciplinary collaboration.

Intended Audience

The TKRC brings together a diverse, interdisciplinary audience working at the intersection of food, health, and education, engaging stakeholders across research, healthcare, public health, policy, food systems, and community practice. Continuing education credits will be pursued through a joint provider to encourage broad participation from healthcare professionals.