Jacksonville school District 117 has been awarded more than $30,000 in grants from the Illinois State Board of Education for the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for two of its elementary schools.
Lincoln Elementary and Washington Elementary each were awarded grants to supply fresh fruits and vegetables that many of the students do not have access to at home.
Lincoln Elementary was given $14,340 and Washington will get $16,101 from the $5.4 million in grants to 260 schools in the state.
Joyce Hiler, director of food service for the district, said the funds allow the schools to provide healthy afternoon snacks to students at least two days a week. Hiler said the children get exposed to a lot of vegetables through school lunches already, so the program is used to provide more fresh fruits and more types of vegetables.
Hiler said the program provides a chance to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as avocado and mangoes, along with more common items to the students.
“It exposes them to different kinds of fruits that they might not get at home,” Hiler said. “It’s just a good opportunity for the kids to try some things that they might not be exposed to. Hopefully, they can go home and tell their parents that they do like that or that they’ve tried it and maybe that might expand some of the offerings they have at home.”
The school district has been a part of the program since it started in 2008, but the schools eligible have changed each year.
The grants are awarded based on free or reduced lunch eligibility.