This summer, representatives from The Cato. T. Laurencin Institute of Regenerative Engineering’s JUMP (Just Us Moving Program) and YIIP (Young Innovator Investigator Program) students at UConn conducted educational sessions for children (ages 6 to 9) at Hartford’s Breakthrough Magnet School North.

YIIP is a unique, intensive two-year program at The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering that helps inspire and develop the next generation of innovative scientists by providing academic training to individuals dedicated to pursuing careers as scientists and scholars in biological and biomedical sciences.

The outreach program at Breakthrough Magnet School North included a PowerPoint presentation and hands-on activities presented by YIIP scholars Caleb Womack and Srivaibhav Gudipudi. They talked to the children about sugar content in their snacks and how it can affect their health. Also participating in the event from UConn’s Cato T. Laurencin Institute were Rohithkumar Kotha, MBBS, MPH, Lisbeth Margarita Lucas-Moran, Sneha Rath, and Arianna Cedeno. The program began with a few questions to assess the children’s knowledge of sugar, followed by an age-appropriate PowerPoint presentation, which included animations and a visual sugar chart, helping them learn why too much sugar can harm teeth. Then, in an interactive game called “Tooth-Friendly or Not,” the children were shown pictures of snacks and asked to run to one side of the room if the snack was “tooth friendly” (e.g., fruits, vegetables) or run to the other side if it was “tooth unfriendly” (soda, candy).

The children also participated in a hands-on activity, in which they scooped six teaspoons of sugar into a plastic bag to show the recommended daily limit of sugar intake. Then, they were shown pictures of various snacks and asked to pick their favorite snack. The YIIP students helped the children read the nutrition label and estimate the number of teaspoons of sugar in their favorite snack, followed by measuring that amount of sugar into a second bag. When comparing, the children were surprised to discover how much sugar was in just one serving of their favorite snack, with most of the “snack” sugar bags exceeding the “daily limit” sugar bag.

This outreach event highlights the importance of health education in children from minority communities to help them make healthier choices. By conducting engaging, interactive presentations on healthy eating with young children of underserved populations, JUMP is creating early awareness in communities in the hopes of having a lifelong impact. This inclusive and community-centered program is a prime example of Dr. Cato. T Laurencin’s vision for public health outreach. The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering has a well-established collaborative relationship with the Urban League of Greater Hartford to reduce food insecurity throughout the city of Hartford. Laurencin received the Community Service Award from the Urban League of Greater Hartford. He has been honored by the Hartford Public School System and the Connecticut State Legislature for his work in the community and has been recognized as a Connecticut Health Care Hero by Connecticut Magazine.

The program was beneficial not only for the Breakthrough Magnet School children, but for the YIIP scholars as well. “Educating the next generation is one of the most meaningful things we can do,” said Caleb Womack, YIIP Scholar. “Sharing with these Hartford Public Schools six-year-olds why healthy eating is important and helping them understand why sugar knowledge matters was a nice reminder of how powerful early learning can be.”