The New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative (NJHKI) launched with a $3 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to elevate the youngest residents of the state to the ranks of the healthiest children in the nation. The Initiative’s programming is evidence-based, child-centered, and community engaged. Philanthropic support of the NJHKI will provide educational opportunities, research, and resources needed to lower the occurrence of childhood overweight and obesity in New Jersey.

Your gift will ensure a healthier future for New Jersey’s children in the following ways:

• Supporting the NJHKI symposium series, which will bring together experts in the areas of nutrition, clinical research, physical fitness and wellness, in addition to community members who want to learn more about the science of child health.
• Funding nutrition, physical activity, and culinary education programs in communities to educate teachers, parents, and children on creative ways to increase healthy foods, habits, activities, and environments.
• Collaborating with the Culture of Health Children’s Academy at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH) to bring schoolchildren onto the Rutgers campus for hands-on learning opportunities in a state-of-the-art classroom with a working kitchen.

Double your donation! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will match up to $1 million, dollar for dollar, support for the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative. You can help us turn a $3 million grant into $5 million with your donation.

The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey awarded $100,000 to the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH) to support the unique qualities of sport and athletic development and maximize the impact on the health of today’s youth. This program will be a part of the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s matching challenge. College and professional athletes with ties to the IFNH Center for Health and Human Performance will serve as ambassadors/mentors to high schools in the greater New Brunswick area. These mentors will engage students via sports and classes to disseminate science-based information as part of the development of athleticism and overall health.

Thank you for supporting the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative. Please visit the Rutgers University Foundation to make a gift to NJHKI. Your generous gift has a direct influence on the lives of children in every corner of the state.

 

For more information about giving, please contact Melissa McKillip, Associate Dean of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships at 848-932-4214, or melissa.mckillip@rutgers.edu. You can also reach out to Denise Gavala, Associate Vice President of New Brunswick Health Sciences at 848-932-6022, or denise.gavala@ruf.rutgers.edu.