UMass Amherst Team Awarded $75,000 from Ardmore Institute of Health

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Assistant Professor Linda Koh PhD'22, MS, RN, PHN, will lead a research team that has received a $75,000 grant from the Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH) to support “Sprouting Health through Interactive Nutrition Education” (SHINE). The award will expand the Full Plate for Kids initiative by translating and culturally tailoring the Full Plate for Kids activity book, facilitator guides and a healthcare provider quick guide into five additional languages.

SHINE builds on two earlier AIH-funded projects: Let’s Grow: Food and Farm Summer Camp (in collaboration with Stanford University), which produced the open-access Full Plate for Kids activity book, and Resources and Outreach for Ongoing Teaching (ROOT), which developed parent/teacher facilitator guides and a quick guide for healthcare providers. Demand from clinicians, educators and families for additional copies and translations has driven the SHINE project.

Project activities will include:

• Translating and culturally tailoring the activity book, facilitator guides and provider quick guide into five additional languages so materials are available in the six working languages of the World Health Organization.
• Partnering with the original activity book team and UMass Amherst’s Edwin C. Gentzler Translation Center to ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy.
• Conducting surveys and interviews with end users to collect feedback and evaluate the usability and impact of the adapted materials.

The team expects SHINE to increase access to Full Plate Living principles for pediatric populations and the adults who support them, helping to advance nutrition education and healthy behaviors for future generations.

About Ardmore Institute of Health

Ardmore Institute of Health awarded $1,894,818 across 17 projects in its Fall 2025 grant cycle to support programs that align with its strategic goal of preventing, treating and reversing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. AIH partners with mission-aligned organizations to fund innovative projects that promote healthy environments and lifestyles.

About Full Plate for Kids

Full Plate for Kids is an open-access activity book and set of educational resources grounded in lifestyle medicine and whole-health best practices. Developed through collaborative research and outreach projects, the materials are designed to engage children and support caregivers, educators and healthcare providers in promoting healthy eating, physical activity and well-being.