Community Perspective: In the Words of 9th grader Kiaan Mehta
When Windham High School 9th grader Kiaan Mehta visited India on vacation, he noticed how many underprivileged kids were unable to participate in activities outside of school because their families could not afford them. He wondered if this was also an issue in New Hampshire, and reached out to The KEY Collective to learn more. Below is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to his school’s leadership to bring awareness to the lack of access to out-of-school activities for low-income kids in his community and across New Hampshire.
I first noticed this issue [of lack of access to sports and other extracurricular activities] when I went on vacation to India and saw how many underprivileged kids there are who are unable to participate in activities outside of school due to their families not being able to afford the expenses. This got me thinking of how, even though this problem is not seen as much here in New Hampshire as it is in India, it is still a problem that many people face. By spreading awareness about this issue, underprivileged kids will have the opportunity to be able to build crucial life skills, their mental health will improve, and it also helps them with their physical health.
By participating in sports and other activities, kids learn critical life skills…such as fine motor skills and social skills. These skills are used in everyday life, and if children are deprived of the ability to participate and learn those skills, there can be serious consequences…Another benefit of kids participating in sports and extracurricular activities is their mental health. Mental health is very important and [poor mental health] can cause anxiety, mental disorders, and depression. All of these can affect kids' performances in school and in life as well. However, being able to participate in sports and other activities helps boost kids' confidence and optimism and lowers levels of depression and anxiety…This was supported by the interview I had with Kim Irwin, the Development and Marketing Manager for The KEY Collective, which is an organization that helps low-income kids access programs outside of school. She told me, “Mental health is an important benefit of participating in sports and other activities, and it is one of the major benefits we see in kids who are able to participate because of our program” ...Finally, kids' participation in sports and activities outside of school helps keep them physically active. This is especially important nowadays as now roughly 1 in 5 children are obese. …Doing sports or other activities can help heart health and help maintain an optimal weight.
In all, by helping spread awareness about this problem, underprivileged kids will have the ability to build life skills, their mental health will improve, and they will have better physical health. By spreading awareness, we can help underprivileged kids get what they need and deserve. Just by trying to notify people about this issue, many meaningful and important differences can occur in these kids’ lives that can leave a lasting impact on them.
1 Oberle, Eva, et al. “Screen Time and Extracurricular Activities as Risk and Protective Factors for Mental Health in Adolescence: A Population-Level Study.” Preventive Medicine, vol. 141, no. 1, Dec. 2020, p. 106291, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106291.2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Childhood Obesity Facts.” CDC, 2 Apr. 2024, www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html.3 “Organized Sports as a Pathway to Lifelong Health and Well-Being.” Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, 15 Dec. 2025, obssr.od.nih.gov/news-and-events/news/directors-spotlight/organized-sports-as-a-pathway-to-lifelong-health-and-well-being? Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.