Kids In The Kitchen

In February of 2006, Junior Leagues from across four countries implemented an international initiative called Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen, designed to help communities address the urgent issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition.

In its first year, more than 200 Junior Leagues participated in the program and provided educational initiatives for children and families in their communities. To date, media coverage has reached over 80 million people with messages about the issues surrounding childhood obesity and the Junior League’s initiative to address these.

Junior Leagues' Kids in the Kitchen was recently deemed an ongoing awareness intiative for the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. Activities for the program's second year will focus around March, 2007, which incorporates National Nutrition Month in the United States and Canada.

Individual Leagues from across the Association will again host educational events in their local communities. Events will range from partnering with local chefs who gave cooking demonstrations in schools and community centers to hands-on grocery store tours that show kids and parents nutritious and affordable ways to select recipe ingredients and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Leagues are conducting programs in partnership with local community organizations in order to raise awareness and provide solutions for the growing health problems associated with childhood obesity.  

The Association of Junior Leagues International is also expanding this website, which provides materials to support the initiative including recipes and tips on nutrition. The website features a variety regularly updated resources to help teach children healthy eating habits, such as a virtual recipe collection from celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs, celebrity moms and nutrition experts.

This League-wide initiative not only addresses a growing problem facing today’s children but also honors the Junior League’s long heritage of impact on family nutrition over the past 105 years. As Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen continues in 2007, Leagues look forward to building upon Kids in the Kitchen’s impressive first year and continuing to address the important issues related to childhood obesity and poor nutrition.