KAN Educational Initiative at Andrew Carnegie Elementary

Kids Allergy Network recently visited another school to continue their mission of advocating for allergy awareness and nurturing a culture of inclusiveness. Stepping onto the stage at Andrew Carnegie Elementary School, the KAN team conducted an hour-long interactive session for the third through fifth grade, offering valuable insights into the importance of understanding and supporting classmates with allergies.

During the engaging assembly, a variety of topics were covered, all geared towards empowering students to become more allergy-conscious. This time, KAN focused heavily on student voice, opening the mic for student responses for various questions, allowing the children to hear about a variety of stories and experiences from their peers.

KAN also presented on various important topics surrounding the allergy experience, such as reading food labels, using EpiPens, and taking initiative in various settings where allergens may be present. We once again allowed for student demonstration and gave questions to hear student voice, fostering a stronger peer-to-peer connection when hearing how to handle these different scenarios surrounding allergies and food restrictions. It was also emphasized that seeking the assistance of adults and licensed health professionals is crucial in the case of a suspected allergic reaction.

Kids Allergy Network is grateful for the opportunity to further its mission of supporting the mental and physical well-being of children with allergies. We got to answer many specific student questions after the presentation, which is super rewarding to us because it shows the curiosity and interest we have sparked in the community regarding supporting those with allergies or food restrictions. We extend our appreciation to Andrew Carnegie Elementary for providing us with the platform to address this vital topic once again.

KAN President and Co-Founder Ben O'Donnell speaks at the assembly at Andrew Carnegie Elementary. He is showing the students a food label and is accompanied by KAN Events Committee Co-Chairs George Stackert and Tyler Chang.

Tyler and Ben take the stage to share their experiences with food allergies.

George talks about helping friends deal with allergies in different settings.

Ben opens the mic for a student response for a question about supporting people with allergies.

Tyler gives the mic to a student who shares about her allergy with the community.

Ben and George take volunteers to demonstrate the use of trainer EpiPens.

George asks students to share what they learned from the demonstrations.

Tyler shares some of his knowledge at the assembly.

Ben concludes the assembly by going over some of the topics that were talked about and answering some final questions from the students.