UNICEF
Kid Power

Empowering kids to help kids

As a partner at Daylight, I led the UX team for UNICEF USA’s Kid Power initiative, which helped kids get active while learning about global citizenship. Partnering with Star Wars Force for Change, the program launched nationally at Target.

Using a wearable band and app, kids earned points through physical activity. The daily goal of five points aligned with NIH step recommendations. Every 25 points unlocked life-saving food packets for malnourished children. Special app missions offered more chances to help while teaching kids about global communities.

So far, hundreds of thousands of kids, educators, and parents have unlocked 8.2 million packets of therapeutic food, reaching 52,000 malnourished children worldwide. Independent evaluations show Kid Power participants are 55% more active and reach their daily 60-minute activity goal 44% more often than peers. In 2017, the program drew applications from 200,000 students in under a month—with no marketing costs.

In 2018, UNICEF Kid Power and Ammunition—the firm that created the wristband’s industrial design—won the Gold Halo Award in the “Nudging for Good” category.

In 2019, the program was named a World-Changing Idea by Fast Company in the Education category. The award highlighted its success in empowering students to take action through activity and social engagement.