The Urban Nutrition Initiative

It is so wonderful to find such important health initiatives in our local area!:

Mission
The Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) is a university-community partnership that engages K-16+ learners in an active, real-world problem-solving curriculum that strives to improve community nutrition and wellness. It is located in the Philadelphia, Pa area.

Programs
• School Gardens
School gardens offer opportunities for children to become engaged in positive ways to beautify their school and improve the quality of life in the community. School gardens form the base of UNI's peer-education program. Students of all levels can benefit from their experiences in the garden. There's always something new to learn!

• Fruit Stands
School-based produce stands serve as the cornerstone of UNI's approach to nutrition education. These markets, operated by students, combine entrepreneurial education and problem-solving.

• Farmer's Markets
Farmers' markets are an important solution to the problems of America's food systems. From connecting low-income communities with fresh local produce to providing farmers with important avenues to sell their products, farmers' markets encourage a healthy attitude towards eating well.

• Community Fitness
Exercise is a vital component of good nutrition and overall health. UNI's community fitness evenings at University City High School help children and their families to establish regular healthy exercise habits.

• Food Education
Food is a sensory, fun and nourishing experience and at UNI, we create programs that focus on these ideas. Food Education at UNI is a dynamic and holistic program that incorporates the school garden, farmerþs markets, community youth and adults, and communities of faith into the experience.

Goals
• Create and sustain an interdisciplinary K through 16+ curriculum that engages students as agents of school and community health improvement and simultaneously results in increased educational skills and abilities.
• Work with university faculty, students, public school teachers and community residents to realize schools as centers of community health promotion; places where active, healthy lifestyles are an integral part of education.
• Advance an ecological approach to nutrition education that emphasizes the interdependence of food, environment and human health through growing, cooking, eating and selling healthy foods. UNI programs fall into three general categories:
• Increasing food and nutrition knowledge.
• Increasing the supply of healthy foods.
• Encouraging and supporting active lifestyles.

UNI strives to serve as a model for effective school-based health promotion programs that can be adopted and adapted to meet the needs of schools and communities around the world.

Visit http://www.urbannutrition.org to find out more or to get involved!