UNICEF
Kid Power

Empowering kids to help kids

While a partner at Daylight, I led the UX team that helped UNICEF USA motivate kids across the United States to increase their physical activity while teaching them what it means to be global citizens. The offering is being promoted through a partnership with Star Wars: Force for Change, a charitable initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm, and is sold in Target stores nationwide.

By wearing the UNICEF Kid Power Band, kids can track their daily activity levels and transmit that information to the companion app. Kids rack up points as they run, jump, and play; one point equals approximately 2,400 steps. UNICEF Kid Power encourages children to earn five points per day, the equivalent of the daily 12,000-step goal of moderate to vigorous activity recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

Every 25 points unlocks one packet of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), which UNICEF delivers to severely malnourished children in the countries where the need is greatest. When kids complete special missions using the app, they earn a packet for every 10 points. On these virtual journeys, kids learn about life in the countries where the food packets they’ve earned will be sent.

If you would like more info, UNICEF’s Kid Power site communites the high level vision.