“I found YYGS to be a wonderful place of self-exploration. The intense new environment, people from all around the world, college residential life… Listening to the stories of professors, researchers and my peers, I was amazed by the variety of our experiences and how we became part of the program in the first place.”
According to the World Health Organization, up to 36% of boys and 23% of girls among 11-year-olds in Poland are overweight. Behaviour change is tough, especially when everyone around tells you to eat healthy, yet you do not actually understand the intricacies of biochemical balance in the body. The concept of “healthy” is abstract to a 7-year-old, so how can school programs expect children to follow a healthy diet?
I became a leader of 10 sixteen-year-old individuals, and we connected over our healthy lunch boxes. As a result of eager discussions about the ways of sharing science of nutrition, we developed a social action project called NutriKIDS, which is aimed at supporting the development of healthy eating habits by running creative, interactive workshops for elementary school children.
The initiative was launched last year. Our model, which we designed in collaboration with the Cracow School of Health Promotion, has been implemented in 12 primary schools in Cracow. Turning our young age into power, we developed an unparalleled connection with our young participants. Furthermore, we give back to our own communities, which has left us with a sense of fulfilment and a desire for more.