Analyze a summer camp cooking program to determine the mechanism related to behavior change. Children aged 8-13. Children who participate in cooking have stronger preferences for fruits and vegetables, more self-efficacy for selecting healthy foods, and overall better diet quality than their peers who do not participate in meal preparation. Youth cooking programs evaluations to date indicate that such programs are efficacious in improving dietary habits. The mechanism by which cooking practices translate to healthier diets however, is still unclear. We hypothesize cooking classes increase children’s self-efficacy for preparing and selecting healthier foods–which in turn positively influences eating behaviors. Summer cooking camps, 10 hours in duration, were implemented in Illinois utilizing the Kids in the Kitchen curriculum from University of Missouri. Each session involved hands-on food preparation, tasting, and nutrition education. The qualitative evaluation presented here represents the initial step in a phased approach that will be utilized to build future quantitative evaluations. Of approximately 150 participants, 18 children participated in focus groups after the program concluded. Thematic analysis and constant comparison were used to derive themes and sub-themes from transcripts. Themes identified included: basic food preparation, kitchen and food safety, incorporating healthy eating, and feedback/suggestions. Sub-themes indicated that self-efficacy was a key mechanism for behavior change. The program positively influenced participants’ cooking skills, food safety practices, and nutrition knowledge. Subsequent evaluations will use validated, quantitative measures to more clearly elucidate the mechanisms underlying changes in youth eating behaviors as a result of the Kids in the Kitchen Program.