American students spanning kindergarten through twelfth grade receive less than eight hours of required nutrition education each year, far below the forty hours needed to affect behavior change. Additionally, Type 2 diabetes and obesity are becoming increasingly prevalent in children, teens, and young adults, further validating the importance of early intervention. Furthermore, only 29% of Americans are informed about how food choice impacts the environment.

In response to these educational deficiencies, KIN’s first- and second-grade nutrition curriculum provides a foundation for nutrition and healthful dietary change, while the fifth-grade food sustainability curriculum educates about the link between our food system and environmental health. 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. Our university-to-elementary student mentorship exerts a powerful influence on behavior change by making nutrition and food sustainability topics relevant and engaging. This student-run model is an innovative, cost-effective, replicable, and sustainable strategy for maintaining program continuity and shaping youth dietary habits. Our goal is to operate at every major university in the United States and have a lasting impact on public and environmental health outcomes.