| Washington, D.C.- Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) announced today that 3 schools in the 9th Congressional District of Michigan have been selected to participate in a nutrition pilot program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kildee lobbied for Michigan schools to be included in the pilot program when the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized funding for the program.
“I believe we must continue to explore innovative approaches to encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables by students across the country,” said Kildee. “We must never underestimate the importance of nutrition and its impact on the mental development, physical growth and academic performance of our children.”
The National 5-A-Day for Better Health Program’s main objective is to encourage Americans to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day for better health. Participating schools will receive fresh and dried fruits as well as fresh vegetables that will be made available through a variety of methods during the school day. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 provided funding for the pilot programs to study how increased consumption of fruits and vegetables affect other eating behaviors such as snack choices and participation in school meal programs. Michigan was one of only 5 states that were selected to participate in this pilot program. In the 9th Congressional District of Michigan, Whittier Middle School (Flint), Carman Park School (Flint), and Pine Knob Elementary School (Clarkston) were chosen to participate in the pilot program.
As the ranking Democratic Member on the Subcommittee on Education Reform, Congressman Kildee has been instrumental in helping to preserve and expand federal nutrition programs despite numerous attempts to eliminate funding for these programs. Kildee continues to be a leading advocate for programs that emphasize child nutrition and physical education. During his tenure, Congressman Kildee has worked hard to expand existing programs and develop new programs that focus on improving the health of students. On September 21, 2002, Congressman Kildee received the National Friend of Child and Adult Care Food Program Award for his outstanding leadership in strengthening federal nutrition assistance for children in child-care facilities. |
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