About  the Author

Mithra Zaucha, MPH, CHES
With a bachelor's degree in biology, Mithra worked in academia and in microbiology and cancer research labs at the University of Chicago. After years of basic science research, she decided she wanted to work more with people and communities. After receiving her master's degree at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, Mithra worked in underserved communities in Chicago, helping develop public health educational programs for community members and teaching medical students and residents about public health issues.

Through that community work, Mithra understood the real-world public health implications of poor nutrition, however it wasn't until she started to raise her own children did she truly become aware of the decline of nutrition and food awareness among society, starting at the earliest levels with our children. She noticed how a lot of unhealthy food was being marketed to kids. She witnessed the lack of nutrition and food diversity among her children's friends and classmates. She saw how removed kids are from the whole food cycle.

Being a nerd in the kitchen at home and enjoying teaching and being involved in the schools, Mithra wanted to develop a program that would teach students about science and nutrition in a fun and relatable way. She wanted to create a program that would come into the classroom, so that ALL students, from every background and every income level, can have access to a STEM enrichment program. She also wanted her program to assist the classroom teachers with their curriculum and give them resources to build upon with their own teachings.

Mithra wrote a grant proposal to the Valley View Educational Enrichment Foundation to develop and pilot her program in a school. Her proposal was accepted and funded. Once in the classroom, teachers and students immediately loved the program and the Let's Eat STEM program was born.