Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program - Apply for SY 2026-27 by May 29
The application to participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program (FFVP) for SY 2026-27 is available at https://cnw.ksde.gov under SNP, SNP What’s New. The FFVP provides all children in participating elementary schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school year. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. Participation in the FFVP is limited to elementary schools (public or private) that participate in the School Breakfast Program and/or National School Lunch Program, with priority given to schools with the highest percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price school meals.
To apply for the FFVP, complete the application and return it to KSDE no later than May 29. Schools selected to participate will be notified this summer. Participating schools will be reimbursed for their documented expenses every month. Contact the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team, cnw@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-2276 with questions.
KSDE Body Venture Exhibit - Apply for SY 2026-27 by May 31
Body Venture is a traveling health exhibit for K-5 students operated by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Child Nutrition and Wellness team. It is available to any elementary school (public or private) that participates in the School Breakfast Program and/or National School Lunch Program. The exhibit is a great opportunity for students to learn about the importance of making healthy food choices and being physically active. The "Request to Schedule Body Venture" form for SY 2026-27 is available at https://cnw.ksde.gov under SNP, SNP What’s New. The deadline to apply is May 31.
This interactive exhibit travels in its own truck and is set up in a school gym or multi-purpose room. It is an enclosed walk-through exhibit representing the human body. At each of Body Venture's 11 learning stations, a volunteer presenter engages the students in an experiential and educational activity focused on healthy choices and helping students learn to “eat smart and play hard.”
The tour begins in the Body Venture lunchroom when students, in groups of eight to 10, receive a food tag designating them as a "local Kansas food" such as a carrot, lean beef, or a piece of cheese. The second stop is the brain where students learn about brain function.
The "foods" step into the exhibit's larger-than-life mouth, are "swallowed" through the esophagus tunnel, and move into the stomach. From the stomach, the students travel through the small intestine, where they become nutrients and are absorbed into the blood. The nutrients then travel through the heart, lungs, bones, muscles, and skin stations.
Students leave the body through a cut in the skin and proceed to the "pathway to life," which recaps key health concepts from each of the 10 previous stations. It takes each group of students about an hour to complete the Body Venture experience.
Contact the KSDE Child Nutrition and Wellness team, cnw@ksde.gov, or (785) 296-2276 with questions.