July 21, 2020
K-State Partners with Kansas Department of Education, Kansas Farm Bureau to Support Child Nutrition Programs
Imagine that you’re a bite of food that’s consumed and travels all the way through the body.
That’s what children across Kansas do when they physically walk through a tubular structure called the Body Venture Exhibit. It’s an experiential way for children to learn about the food they eat and the implications for their health.
Now, K-State Research and Extension through its SNAP-Ed program, will be part of supporting the Body Venture Exhibit, thanks to a $96,648 federal grant awarded recently to the Kansas Department of Education.
The exhibit, which travels to as many as 100 schools a year, is a fun way for children to learn and targets those with greater than 50% free or reduced-price lunch eligible students, according to Kansas SNAP-Ed coordinator Lisa Ross. Kansas SNAP-Ed supports low income Kansans in making healthy choices through nutrition and physical activity.
The new collaboration means Kansas SNAP-Ed nutrition education will be incorporated into the Body Venture Exhibit. K-State Research and Extension agents across the state will help in recruiting volunteers to set up the exhibit at schools, give presentations and assist teachers with educational activities.
“The partnership between the Kansas Department of Education, K-State Research and Extension and Kansas Farm Bureau is a natural fit,” Ross said, “given that all are deeply involved in teaching about agriculture and food production, proper nutrition and healthy food choices.”
The funding will support the Body Venture Exhibit for two years. It was part of $12.1 million in the Farm to School Grant program awarded to universities and organizations throughout the country by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which are expected to reach nearly 21 million students in 47,000 schools. Two other Kansas organizations, the Fresh Farm HQ Cooperative Association and the Kansas Rural Center, also received funding for projects.