Nourish to Flourish

On the first day of New Student Orientation in their first semester at Penn, Inaya Zaman and Rashmi Acharya shared an ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s. In the afternoon they met up with Imani Nkrumah Ardayfio, who Zaman knew from high school. The three friends have been together nearly every day at Penn since, roommates in a West Philadelphia house for the past two years.

So it made perfect sense for the trio of fourth-years to team up to apply for the 2025 President’s Engagement Prize, which awards each chosen project $100,000, as well as a $50,000 living stipend per team member.

The three volunteer with children in West Philadelphia and they often discuss concerns about the unhealthy foods the kids eat, and the foods that go to waste. Their Prize-winning project, Nourish to Flourish, will use behavioral economics-based interventions to address hunger and nutrition inequalities in West Philadelphia.

Their plan is to partner with several community groups to bring local farmers to schools for families to acquire fresh produce, redesign the school cafeteria and implement an incentive system based on behavioral economics principles to encourage healthy food choices, and offer hands-on learning activities during and after school, including a school garden and cooking classes. In the coming academic year the partner is Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School, where nearly all the students qualify for reduced-price or free meals.

Each brought their particular area of interest and study to create Nourish to Flourish. Ardayfio, a history and Africana Studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences, is interested in a career in education policy. Acharya is a health and societies major in the College interested in community and child health. And Zaman is a dual-degree major in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business in the College and the Wharton School, concentrating in business economics and public policy. Ardayfio and Zaman are both from Washington, D.C., and met in high school at the Washington International School. Acharya is from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

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“I think it is why this worked so well,” Zaman says. “Our project incorporates many different subjects and partners and components, but knowing each other so well and our various interests really helped us work together to bridge all of those interests into a project.”

Listening to the community

The Nourish to Flourish team is mentored by Heather Klusaritz, division chief of Community Health, and associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Perelman School of Medicine.

“One of the things that I love most about what these three students put together is that they really spent time listening to what people want, and are really dedicated to making sure that they’re working with teachers, staff, and families,” says Klusaritz, who has several roles at Penn that involve connecting the health system with partners to develop initiatives and responses to community needs and priorities. “They’re changing how we engage school-age kids with food, changing the cultures of schools and school cafeterias; that is no small undertaking.”

The team has met regularly with Comegys principal, Rauchaun DuPree. “When I first learned about the Nourish to Flourish initiative, I was immediately struck by its thoughtful and comprehensive approach to addressing the critical issue of food insecurity and promoting healthy eating habits, particularly within communities like ours,” DuPree says. “The proposal resonated deeply with the daily realities faced by our students and families, and the potential for positive change felt palpable.”

“This partnership with Nourish to Flourish and these exceptional Penn students represents so much more than just a project; it signifies a tangible investment in the health, well-being, and future of our Comegys Elementary School community,” providing resources “necessary to create lasting and meaningful change.”

Volunteering leads to discovery

Ardayfio volunteered at Comegys her first and second year at Penn, and “loved the community there,” which led to the Prize partnership, she says. Zaman has been volunteering with an afterschool care program at Moder Patshala in West Philadelphia through Penn’s Civic House. Acharya has volunteered with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, at the Henry Lea Elementary School, at Youth Emergency Services shelter through the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Homeless Health Initiative, and as the site coordinator of a Penn student organization Shelter Health Outreach Program.

“We’d come home and talk about our classes and our experiences volunteering,” Acharya says. “We found that there was a similar need that we were all passionate about, which was children’s education and nutritional inequities.” They were concerned about what the children were eating, like chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, chips and other packaged foods after school, and sugary juices, as well as sodas and candy from the corner stores.

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“You can really see the effects in the way that they’re learning and processing information as well as their ability to focus,” says Ardayfio, who has taken courses in policy, urban education, and social justice through the Graduate School of Education.

Healthy eating is a “skill you have to cultivate in a way, in addition to making food accessible and appealing,” Acharya says. In the course, Public Health Theories & Frameworks, Acharya learned about the unique potential of behavioral economics-based public health interventions to reduce health disparities amongst children.

But even if healthier choices were offered, would the children choose them? Zaman is incorporating her coursework in public policy and behavioral economics to brainstorm ways to present food to encourage children to choose the healthier options, “giving them incentives to make those choices on their own.”

Nourish to Flourish

In October the three of them decided to apply for the Engagement Prize. “They complement each other nicely, with their skill sets and their interest and the experience that they bring,” says Klusaritz.

The project incorporates three main aspects: access to fresh produce at schools through farmer’s markets; a cafeteria redesign using behavioral economics to encourage healthier choices; and hands-on learning activities to help kids have fun while learning how to eat healthier.

• The Food Trust nonprofit has agreed to assist in setting up a farmer’s produce pick-up stand once a week before and after school, making it possible for parents to purchase produce with SNAP and other government-assisted funding. The Food Trust also will continue working with neighborhood stores to offer fresh food options through its Healthy Corner Store initiative. “The prospect of our students experiencing the direct benefits of farmer’s markets or cooking stands right here at Comegys is exhilarating,” DuPree says. “Imagine the access to fresh, vibrant produce becoming a regular part of their school experience, empowering their families to make healthier choices with greater ease.”

• A redesign of the cafeteria, with input from the cafeteria workers, will provide and promote fresh produce, and give students incentives to choose those options, with engaging posters and healthy snack tables. “The innovative plans to reimagine our cafeteria environment using behavioral economics principles offer a tangible pathway to encouraging healthier selections during mealtimes,” DuPree says.

• Hands-on activities include reviving a school vegetable garden, creating a student gardening club, and a cooking club with cooking classes. The team will also create a mobile garden, piloting at Moder Patshala. Children will be able to grow their own fresh produce, learn how to cultivate it, and ultimately use it in their cooking and eat it as a healthy alternative. Longer term the garden may provide vegetables for the cafeteria.

The project reflects Penn’s strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, with goals to address timely challenges, promote leadership and community service, and embody being an exemplary neighbor.

Looking ahead

The trio will continue to live together in West Philadelphia. They plan to establish nonprofit status and create a website this summer. They also will apply for grants to sustain the project into the future.

The team members plan to be in the school every day once classes start, and will work with Penn student volunteers, as well as volunteers from nearby high schools, on all of these efforts. They are creating the curriculum and the model as a pilot program, with the intention of expanding to other schools, as well as in shelter settings.

Evaluation is important, they say, asking parents, teachers, and cafeteria staff to complete surveys. The three of them will be working with lunch monitors to evaluate what the students are eating, each week and mid-semester.

“We are absolutely thrilled to embark on this journey and are eager to collaborate every step of the way,” DuPree says. “This is a momentous occasion for our school, and we are filled with optimism and excitement for the positive impact Nourish to Flourish will have on the lives of our students.”

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Looking ahead, Acharya envisions a career in community medicine, “thinking about the social determinants of health, I’m particularly interested in how access to nutritious food affects students’ behavior and academic performance, which in turn impacts their overall life outcomes,” she says. Acharya aims to continue addressing child health and food justice, “expanding our work into shelter-based settings, ensuring underserved communities have equitable access to healthy food.”

Zaman has chosen courses and extracurricular activities geared towards non-profit management. “I’m hoping to be able to use those skills to maintain the project and ensure its sustainability,” she says. “The project is a nice way to still be involved in West Philly and work with the kids I’ve grown close to while also looking forward to a career in evidence-based policy design and program management.”

Ardayfio says she sees herself in an education career, and Nourish to Flourish will be valuable experience. “Working in the classroom, collaborating with students and administrators, and engaging with the systemic operations of a school will help me refine my understanding within the education field so I can help drive meaningful change and create more equitable learning environments,” she says.

“I really appreciate the Comegys community,” Ardayfio says. “I really love the kids there, and being able to watch them grow over the past couple of years has been great. I would just love to see them thrive through this project.”