CHILDHOOD OBESITY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND POOR DIETARY OUTCOMES AMONG LOW-INCOME CHILDREN ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES IN THE UNITED STATES. NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION PROGRAMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE CHILDREN'S DIETARY BEHAVIORS. SHARE OUR STRENGTH'S COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS IS A HANDS-ON NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR 3RD THROUGH 5TH GRADE CHILDREN. THE PROGRAM TARGETS LOW-INCOME CHILDREN AND EMPOWERS THEM TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEALTHY MEALS AND SNACKS. THE CURRICULUM, WHICH IS BASED ON THE DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS, CONSISTS OF SIX TWO-HOUR LESSONS THAT EACH INCLUDE A NUTRITION LESSON AND COOKING ACTIVITY THAT INVOLVES PREPARING RECIPES RELATED TO THE TOPIC COVERED IN THAT LESSON. COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS IS OFFERED BY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. WHILE PROGRAM EVALUATION SUGGESTS THAT COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS HAS POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN PARTICIPANTS, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN RESEARCH STUDIES PUBLISHED ON THE CURRICULUM. WE WILL CONDUCT AN EVALUATION OF THE COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS PROGRAM USING BOTH NATIONAL AND LOCAL DATA. NATIONAL DATA FROM OVER 10,000 CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN THE COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS PROGRAM FROM FY2012-FY2017 WILL BE ANALYZED TO ASSESS CHANGES IN OUTCOMES RELATED TO NUTRITION AND COOKING. WE WILL ALSO CONDUCT A PILOT EVALUATION THE COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY NO KID HUNGRY NC THAT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES NOT ASSESSED IN THE NATIONAL EVALUATION. SINCE 2017, NO KID HUNGRY NC HAS OFFERED COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS AS 11-12 ONE-HOUR SESSIONS IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO MEET TIME CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITES THEY PARTNER WITH. LESSONS ARE DIVIDED IN HALF SO THAT THE NUTRITION PORTION IS OFFERED AT ONE SESSION AND THE CORRESPONDING HANDS-ON COOKING ACTIVITY IS OFFERED THE FOLLOWING SESSION. NO KID HUNGRY NC USES COLLEGE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS (BOTH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE) TO LEAD THE LESSONS. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT BOTH RESEARCH AND PRACTICE RELATED TO NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN. THERE IS CURRENTLY LIMITED RESEARCH ON OUTCOMES OF NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDY USING THE COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS CURRICULUM. OUR SAMPLE SIZE FROM THE NATIONAL DATA IS THE LARGEST SAMPLE SIZE THAT WE ARE AWARE OF FROM AN EVALUATION OF A NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION PROGRAM. OUR PILOT STUDY OF THE COOKING MATTERS FOR KIDS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY NO KID HUNGRY NC WILL PROVIDE DATA TO INFORM A LARGER RESEARCH STUDY ON THE PROGRAM AND ASSESSES OUTCOMES NOT INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL EVALUATION.MANY COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE UNAWARE OF THE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION. THE EDUCATION COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT OFFERS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLEGE STUDENTS RELATED TO THE FEDERAL SUMMER NUTRITION PROGRAMS (SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM AND NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM - SEAMLESS SUMMER OPTION) AND COMMUNITY-BASED COOKING AND NUTRITION PROGRAMS. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP A TRAINING AND RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AROUND THE SUMMER NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND WAYS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AND POOR DIETARY OUTCOMES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS LEADING NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION ACTIVITIES. THE GOAL OF THESE ACTIVITIES IS TO INCREASE COLLEGE STUDENTS' AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION CAREERS AND MAKE THEM MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO IMPROVE FOOD INSECURITY AND NUTRITION-RELATED OUTCOMES IN LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS.