Korean American youth & family programs · King County, Washington
손맛, passed hand to hand.
Korean American restaurant owners teaching the next generation to cook, create and lead.
KARA Foundation brings kids, parents and grandparents into the kitchen with the people who carry Korean food traditions. Our workshops, festivals and mentorship programs are always free and open to every family.
See upcoming family events →Coming soon 다가오는 행사
Dates are on the way. Join the mailing list and we’ll tell you the moment sign-ups open.
New · Ages 2 to 5
Sensory Play with Bibimbap
Little hands squish rice, sort colorful vegetables and mix their own bowl. A first taste of Korean food through touch, color and smell.
Ages 2 to 5 + a grown-up · Free
Notify meKimjang Day: Make Kimchi Together
Families, all ages · Free
Notify meSonmat Saturday: Mandu Making with a Mystery Guest Chef
Fold mandu side by side with a guest chef from a local Korean restaurant. Who’s cooking? It’s a surprise until the day.
Kids + a grown-up · Free
Notify meSeollal: Lunar New Year Celebration
Everyone welcome · Free
Notify meFood is how we pass it on.
Recipes can be written down. Sonmat, the taste of the hands, can't. It lives in the people who've cooked for decades, and we bring them together with the kids who'll carry it forward.
Cook together
Hands-on Korean cooking workshops for kids and families, led by restaurant owners.
Who: kids with a parent or grandparent. They gain: real kitchen skills and time together across generations.
Celebrate together
Seollal, Chuseok, Kimjang Day and Korean food heritage festivals open to all.
Who: King County neighbors of every background. They gain: Korean culture learned from the people who live it.
Learn from mentors
Restaurant owners and hospitality professionals guiding teens and young adults.
Who: teens and young adults. They gain: career insight, confidence and an adult in their corner.
Lead
Youth volunteer crews and leadership roles that grow with every season.
Who: teens. They gain: service hours, leadership experience and a reference.
Founded by restaurant families. Built for the next generation.
KARA was started by Korean American restaurant owners and hospitality professionals who wanted to give back the way they know best: by feeding people and teaching what they know. Today they serve as instructors, mentors and storytellers, sharing their recipes, their craft and the stories of how their families built a life here.
Meet our founders →Where we are in King County
One pilot delivered. Everything marked Planned is still ahead; we’ll report results as programs run.
“[A short quote from a founder about why they give back, in their own words.]”
There’s a place at the table.
Volunteer
Teens earn service hours and lead crews. Adults welcome families, interpret and help run events.
Sign up to volunteerJoin the movement
Restaurant owners and chefs: teach a workshop, mentor a teen, or share your family’s story.
Join as a restaurant ownerSupport the cause
Donate, start a fundraiser, or sponsor a program so every workshop stays free.
Donate · Fundraise · SponsorHear about events first.
In English or 한국어. About once a month.