Grants Awarded to Local Elementary Schools to Fund Fresh Food Programs
Senator Jim Brewster announced the award of federal grants to local elementary schools to fund healthy, fresh food programs for students.
“It is important to make healthy food accessible to students so they are nourished and prepared to learn,” Brewster said. “This program is also a great way to introduce children to produce they may not be able to get otherwise.”
Funding priority is given to the schools with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Grantees are required to spend a majority of their grant on the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetable and must develop a plan to establish partnerships to reduce other costs. Schools are also required to provide nutrition education to students, but cannot use Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (FFVP) funding to purchase nutrition education materials.
Local schools receiving funds include:
| · Mon Valley School, Clairton |
$ 2,300.00 |
| · Sunrise School, Monroeville |
$2,530.00 |
| · Clairton Elementary School |
$24,092.50 |
| · Duquesne Elementary School, Duquesne |
$22,252.50 |
| · Logan Elementary School, North Versailles |
$46,057.50 |
| · Francis McClure Elementary School, White Oak |
$38,525.00 |
| · Twin Rivers Elementary School, McKeesport |
$45,022.50 |
| · Propel Charter School, Pitcairn |
$13,110.00 |
| · Propel East, Turtle Creek |
$17,940.00 |
| · Propel, McKeesport |
$16,732.50 |
| · South Allegheny Elementary, McKeesport |
$32,142.50 |
| · Clara Barton Elementary School, West Mifflin |
$13,282.50 |
| · Homeville Elementary School, West Mifflin |
$19,377.50 |
| · New Emerson Elementary School, West Mifflin |
$9,947.50 |
| · Young Scholars Of McKeesport Charter School, McKeesport |
$10,810.00 |
| · Kiski Area East Primary School, Vandergrift |
$26,737.50 |
The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The program’s goals are to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables students experience, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and positively impact students’ present and future health. FFVP was first implemented in Pennsylvania in 2004 and expanded to all 50 states in 2008.
“Fresh fruits and vegetables provide vital nutrients to growing children,” said Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera. “These grants are another way to help address food security in our schools while also providing an opportunity to teach students how to make smart and nutritious choices.”
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