Philadelphia, PA – August 5, 2021 – State Senator Christine Tartaglione (D-2nd District) announces that five elementary schools within the 2nd Senatorial District are among 288 statewide that have been awarded a combined $7 million in grants to provide fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to students during the school day.
The local awardees are the School District of Philadelphia’s William Cramp School, Lewis Elkin School, and Fox Chase School; the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Visitation School; and Mastery Charter School-Smedley Elementary.
“Providing quality education to children in their most formative years must be our highest priority as a Commonwealth, and good nutrition is a vital component of quality education,” Senator Tartaglione said. “This state funding will help children start each day right and focus on their classwork until the final bell.”
The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The program’s goals are to provide students with healthier food choices, expand the variety of fruits and vegetables available to them, and increase their fruit and vegetable consumption. Funding priority is given to schools with the highest rates of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
Grantees are required to spend most of their funding on the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables, and they must develop a plan to establish partnerships to reduce other costs. Schools are required to provide nutrition education to students but cannot use FFVP funding to purchase nutrition education materials.
The full list of grant recipients and more information about the program is available by visiting the Department of Education’s School Nutrition Programs website.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or [email protected].