Low literacy and limited access to healthy foods is particularly acute in urban youth living in poverty. The Husky Reads course at UConn provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to impact this problem through the delivery of nutrition information that promotes literacy in Connecticut preschoolers.

Overview

UConn students work in pairs or in small teams using prepared lesson plans that allow them to focus on literacy skills and nutrition information, while also enabling them to gain classroom management skills. In addition,students benefit from experiential learning in community settings that increases their cultural competence with the groups served.

The overall goal of Husky Reads is to provide basic nutrition information and healthy food tastings to young (preschool-aged) children living in under-served urban areas in Connecticut. Additionally, the Husky Reads experience is designed to provide students with opportunities to participate in advocacy, education, and service to the community in the areas of public health and nutrition.