Kimberley Harris is an Action for Healthy Kids Family Connector that works in Clay County District Schools in Florida. We recently interviewed her about her experience.

How long have you been a Family Connector with AFHK?  

I am in my third year with Action for Healthy Kids.

Why did you want to be a Family Connector with AFHK? 

It was important to me to become a family connector for many reasons. One reason is that I did not have the best health as a child. It made a lot of things hard for me growing up. If there is anything I can do to help other children live healthier lives, I will do it any way possible. Another reason is how passionate I am about the mental health of children in current time. Looking at my nephew, I see how emotionally taxing it is to be a kid. When studying psychology in college, my favorite coursework was human development and family studies. To see what changes we can make as adults to make kids’ lives easier is exciting to me.

What do you like most about the work? 

My favorite part of the work is to see when small changes make a huge difference! For example, this year kids at one of my schools are enjoying yoga during PE. They also have an affirmation hopscotch outside to cheer them up on hard days. Stories like this make my heart smile.

What is a memorable moment that you have experienced as a Family Connector? 

The little things can sometimes be the most rewarding and memorable. At one of my schools, we had a virtual cooking class and made “apple donuts.” While it was a good turn out, I still wished there were more families that attended. I was feeling a little down about it, but then I got the best message from the school nurse. She had a parent contact her and thank her for the class. She said that her child would never eat apples, until she attended this class, and started requesting them in her lunch.

What is one of your goals this school year? 

This school year, I hope to increase my work with children of military families. I hope to work together with families and school staff in order to increase their children’s social emotional learning skills.

What are some of your hobbies/interests? 

Anything to do with art and creativity. I have used all art mediums including paint, clay, wood, furniture flipping, glass, and more! I also love animals and family time.