ALTON - Alton Community Unit School District #11 students have a unique opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables through an important nutritional program.
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The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is an initiative through the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Eligible elementary schools receive foods like pink dragon fruit, rainbow carrots and more to try. Kim Nixon, who helped secure the grant for Alton students, explained the goal is to expose kids to new foods while teaching them about nutrition.
“It’s important to get students those nutritional items that they may not get outside of the classroom or outside of the school,” Nixon said. “We just want to make sure that we’re opening them up to a world of all different opportunities.”
The district piloted this program last year at Alton Middle School and Gilson Brown Elementary School, and Nixon said it was “a huge hit.” Casey Hansen, an assistant principal at Alton Middle School, noted that the program encouraged students to try new things and build community.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this program was watching students become excited about trying fresh fruits and vegetables they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience,” Hansen said. “Each week, teachers shared descriptions and fun facts about the featured food, making it something students and staff looked forward to enjoying together.”
This year, Alton Community Unit School District #11 expanded the grant to West, North and Eunice Smith Elementary Schools, as well as K–8 students at Mark Twain. Nixon explained that the district’s contractor, Whitsons Food Service, helped secure a vendor to deliver prepackaged fruits on Thursdays and Fridays.
Students have tried a variety of foods, from starfruit to minneolas. Most of the foods are unique, and students might not otherwise have the opportunity to eat them. Hansen noted that there are also informational packets that tell students more about the foods they’re eating, which fosters curiosity and learning.
“One day, I forgot to send the information, so a teacher challenged her class to investigate the mystery fruit using their science knowledge — and they correctly identified it as a persimmon!” Hansen remembered. “That moment captured what made this program so special: it sparked curiosity, encouraged learning, and brought our school community together in a fun and meaningful way.”
As per the terms of the grant, the foods can’t be served as part of breakfast or lunch, nor can they be a “grab-and-go” snack as students leave school for the day. Instead, the foods are served to students and time is devoted to a lesson about nutrition.
In addition to exposing students to new foods, the district hopes the program teaches them more about nutrition and healthy eating. The goal is to expand students’ understanding of nutrition while encouraging them to always stay curious and open to trying new things.
Looking ahead, the district hopes to collaborate with local vendors to bring these foods into the classrooms. Administrators are proud that the grant is helping kids learn and grow, which is their main goal as a district.
“It’s a great program,” Nixon added. “It just opens up kids to things that they maybe would never try.”
This featured article is sponsored by the Alton Community Unit School District #11. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
