The Newport Independent School District has been awarded nearly $47,000 in federal grants to provide students with daily snacks of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, a United States Department of Agriculture program that is administered by the State of Kentucky, Newport Primary School was awarded $26,800 and Newport Intermediate School was awarded $19,850.
The program provides students with free fresh fruits and vegetables, and promotes healthier eating habits, said Andrea Whiles, food service director for the Newport Independent Schools.
“Basically, the program is designed to not only improve our students’ overall diet, but also to expand the variety of fruits and vegetables they experience, increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables, expand their knowledge of foods and create healthier eating habits,” Whiles said.
The fruits and vegetables are provided outside of the district’s breakfast and lunch programs and are meant to be eaten as snacks during the school day.
The program also exposes the students to fruits and vegetables they may not always get at home.
“Blackberries and raspberries can be expensive, so they may not have those at home,” Whiles said. “There are so many kinds of apples, there are different citrus fruits and certain kinds of oranges many of the kids have never heard about or eaten. This program is excellent for expanding the students’ knowledge of the types of fruits and vegetables that are out there and how they can contribute to a healthy diet.”
Newport has been successful in obtaining grants from the program. Since 2012, the district has received nearly $200,000 to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Paul Baker, the district’s grants coordinator, worked with Whiles on the grant application.
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program operates in selected low-income elementary schools in the 50 States.
Newport Independent School District
