Learning Nutrition, Hands-On

story by Amber Alhadeff
photo by Alice Gao

Urban Nutrition Initiative seeks to improve overall health by sending workers to lead educational programs in West Philadelphia schools.

It’s back-to-school night at William C. Bryant Elementary School, located on 60th and Cedar Streets. The school princi pal rolls an ancient-looking microphone into the cafeteria, where parents and students are waiting on lunch-room style benches. I am at Bryant representing the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI), a Penn-affiliated program that works to improve Philadelphia’s overall nutrition through educational programs and activities in under privileged areas. It is my first in-school experience with AUNI, but already I can tell that I love being around these kids. Tonight, Gee, the nutrition edu cation coordinator, and I are here to introduce the AUNI program to parents. But more impor tantly, we are here to hand out fresh, juicy nectarines.

Many neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, like the one I visited, rank among the poorest urban communities in the United States. Perhaps related to this urban poverty, these neighborhoods have a disproportionately high rate of diet-related diseases. Many of the schools with which AUNI works have childhood obesity rates that sometimes exceed 20%.

Since AUNI was founded in 1995 by Penn’s Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships, members and school coordinators have worked to edu cate children about daily practices that can improve individual and community health as well as better develop local food systems. AUNI is part of Eat.Right.Now., the School District of Philadelphia’s comprehensive nutrition education program.

AUNI conducts monthly food tastings in Philadelphia public schools, bringing in mass quantities of a seasonal fruit or vege table, or other healthy snacks. This October, Gala apples were on the menu. The orga nization purchased apples from a local farm and volunteers individually inspected, washed, and divided them into large paper bags. I had the opportunity to distribute the apples to various public schools (the largest of which I visited was Bryant, with 600 stu dents). Apples had to be transported from the AUNI office on Penn’s campus all the way to the doors of West Philadelphia class rooms. And sure enough, our hard work was more than rewarded upon seeing so many students (and teachers!) appreciate their nutritious monthly treats.

AUNI does more than deliver fruit; vol unteers hold in-classroom activities for the kids, including interactive lessons about nutrition and exercise, and in-classroom recipe preparation (always followed by a tasting). Student-run fruit stands have been effec tive in teaching students about marketing, adver tising, sales, inventory, and employee – consumer relations, in addition to promoting healthy eating habits for the participants and customers.

A few weeks later I am in a fourth grade classroom assisting with a lesson on the food groups, feeling acclimated to the schools with about a month of work under my belt. “Who can tell me what your favorite vegetable is?” Gee asks, as I pass out pretzel sticks, the lesson snack of the day. The children are excited, frantically waving their hands to participate. One girl eagerly answers, “Broccoli! Because it tastes good and I know it’s good for me!” Working for AUNI is supposed to be my job, but instead the children make my time at the schools more like a hobby. Before I know it, its 3:00, time for dismissal. Several young girls run to give me a hug and to thank me for coming. And as I am leaving, I already can’t wait until I go back to the school again.