May 2026 Newsletter 

Healthi Kids brings two high-impact professional development workshops to RCSD

Healthi Kids, in collaboration with RCSD, hosted Healthi Connections—two professional development workshops at School 33 that drew 40–50 educators per session. Laurencé Walker (Cornell Cooperative Extension) led Kid-Approved Nutrition in the Classroom, featuring hands-on label-decoding activities and simple ways to think about food processing, serving size, and balanced snacks. Devin Malik Anglin (Sankofa Leadership Associates) facilitated Ready… Set… Discipline?, which highlighted positive discipline strategies and how play can lower stress and support emotional regulation.

Learn more.

Healthi Kids Parent Leader Candace Cabral speaks out at Speak Life! Health Equity Conference

Healthi Kids parent leader Candace Cabral brought a powerful perspective to the Speak Life! Health Equity Conference as a featured panelist. Drawing on both her lived experience as a parent and her professional work as a benefit navigator with Foodlink, Cabral shared that many families are forced into impossible trade-offs, having to choose between medications, utility bills, childcare, and stable housing. She emphasized the urgent need for affordable housing and practical, accessible resources for Rochester families. 

Cabral's voice was especially resonant because of her focus on trust and “meeting people where they are”—not just in offices, but in community spaces like the Central Library, Public Market, and neighborhood locations—so that support feels real, local, and human. 

“I’m not a case worker. I’m not a social worker. I’m just a parent that sees the needs of our community and wants to be there for them first.” -Candace Cabral

Read more about the Speak Life! Health Equity Conference.

Setu shares her R-Center adventure!

Setu's R-Center Adventure is in the pool at the Trenton and Pamela Jackson R-Center: "My daughter and I just started the baby and me classes, and have had a blast so far! I’m excited for the opportunity to bond with my child and to meet other parents with children around my daughter’s age."

R-Center Adventures is a community campaign from Healthi Kids inviting families to discover everything happening at Rochester’s R-Centers—sports and swim, arts and STEM, family events, and more.

Find programs near you here, then share your own R-Center adventure to help us spread the word about the great community resources available to all of Rochester's families. 

Read about the campaign and find your own adventures.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, Children’s Mental Health Week reminds us that every child’s well-being is rooted in connection, belonging, and caring relationships. These themes closely reflect our Love From the Start campaign—supporting nurturing early experiences that build strong, resilient brains and lifelong mental health. By investing in safe, stable, and responsive relationships from the very beginning, we help children feel seen, valued, and supported—laying the foundation for healthy development and brighter futures. Together, we can create communities where all children and families thrive.

InternSpotlight: Ella Isaac

We’re cheering on Ella Isaac, a newly graduated Nazareth University MPH student who interned with Healthi Kids this spring. Ella contributed to Love from the Start parent focus groups, supported outreach at community events and Infant Toddler Play Days, and presented research on limiting unhealthy food advertising to kids in public spaces. As Stephanie David, our director of early childhood policy, shared: “Ella’s contributions strengthened Healthi Kids’ work in meaningful ways—she centered family voices, asked the right questions, and produced materials the team can actually use.”  Ella is now a Recreation Assistant with Greece Parks & Recreation—and we’re excited she’ll stay connected through the Healthi Kids Coalition.

Congratulations, Ella, on all that you’ve achieved and thank you for all that you’ve contributed to our mission!

Read more about Ella Isaac.

Culture Corner: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. For this month's Culture Corner Healthi Kids is sharing three engaging ways for you and your family to learn more about and celebrate AAPI heritage. 

First, enjoy some read aloud time with Bee-bim Bop!, a joyful book about a Korean American family preparing “mix-mix rice,” complete with a kid-friendly recipe. And, it's written by Rochester’s own Linda Sue Park. Then, give a watch to the Nickelodeon series Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, which follows a Chinese-American preschooler and incorporates English and Mandarin vocabulary alongside friendship stories. You can watch all three seasons on Roku, Fandango, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime, but most episodes are available for free on YouTube. For those of you who like a little more hands-on activity, check out the Irondequoit Public Library's Ikebana Show and Demonstration on Saturday, May 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with demonstrations at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging and is sure to awe and inspire!