Ryan Kokoska

Kids In Nutrition (KIN) empowers the younger generation to lead healthy and sustainable lives through nutrition and food sustainability education. Given that children develop habits by age nine, KIN teaches kids about optimal nutrition and sustainability practices during their formative adolescent years. Early food literacy education has a tremendous downstream effect on carrying healthy and sustainable dietary habits into adulthood, thus building a foundation for: 1) Chronic disease prevention (e.g., obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease) 2) Health equity 3) Environmental impact awareness Background: KIN was founded in 2014 by two students, Michelle Nicolet & Angela Shields, at the University of California, Santa Barbara seeking to combat food system issues in public and environmental health. Our mission focuses on getting kids to think about how their individual dietary choices impacts themselves and the world around them. We utilize a university-to-elementary student mentorship approach to instill lasting dietary change in our youth. Teams of five university volunteer instructors visit local elementary classrooms (in-person or virtually) to teach once a week for seven weeks. Lessons are evidence-based and include interactive visuals, hands-on games, physical activity, and group work. KIN has become a robust educational platform for empowering elementary and college students from all backgrounds to become local advocates for their community's health. As KIN expands across the United States, our movement will have a lasting impact on public and environmental health outcomes. Operating chapters: UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, UC Berkeley, Indiana University, Tufts University, and Northeastern University Developing chapters: University of Colorado Kids In Nutrition is an official program under Sustainability and Community Health Initiative (SACHI). SACHI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible.