KAN Visits MetroSquash
Read about KAN's educational visit to MetroSquash and how they taught and learned from the kids in the program
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Kids Allergy Network recently partnered with MetroSquash’s after school program to engage with a new audience and promote allergy awareness and nutritional diversity. As a youth program that supports physical and emotional development, MetroSquash and KAN are united in their missions to empower and educate youth.
KAN Founder and President Ben O'Donnell speaks to the kids at MetroSquash. He is accompanied by KAN Co-Founder and Vice President Edward Park and KAN Events Committee Co-Chair George Stackert.
Through an interactive presentation with President Ben O’Donnell, Vice President Edward Park, and Events Committee Co-Chair George Stackert, the students learned crucial information about staying allergy-aware. The students learned how to recognize symptoms of allergic reactions, how to properly read food labels, and what to do in case of an emergency. KAN members also shared important information about EpiPens, empowering kids with lifesaving knowledge that can help someone in need.
George and Ben respond to a question about personal allergy experience.
Ben and Edward talk to the kids and some volunteers about the importance of EpiPens.
George hands out example food labels for the kids to read during the presentation.
George and Edward go through different scenarios where one might need help dealing with their allergies or food restrictions.
This visit was particularly special due to the diverse age group, ranging from first grade through high school. KAN members were able to have one-on-one conversations with the students, and talk about their unique allergy experiences. This was one of the first times KAN has been able to work with older students. Our volunteers were able to connect with the students about shared experiences and hear about how they’ve grown to cope with their allergies. This broader audience was especially meaningful for the KAN members, who want to use their platform to allow as many people to share their stories as possible.
Ben and a small group of kids share personal stories and connections relating to allergies in their lives.
Edward and Ben listen to and discuss an allergy experience.
We are deeply grateful to MetroSquash and the kids we had the opportunity to work with. It was a true pleasure to have these conversations and continue to work to build a larger community of allergy-aware individuals. We look forward to the next time we will be able to work with such an amazing group of students.