Students Get Access to Fresh Fruit All Day in Pilot Program

Fourth grade classrooms at Rosa Parks Elementary are testing out a pilot program that gives students access to fresh fruit throughout the entire school day. 

The idea stemmed from a trip Superintendent Deborah Houser made to Australia to observe what school looks like there, where she saw students had access to fresh produce directly in the classroom.

The fruit is provided by Middletown City School District’s food vendor Sodexo, which already provides every student in the district with a healthy breakfast and lunch each day of the school year, at no cost to the student.

The pilot program in fourth grade classrooms falls in line with MCSD’s and Sodexo’s mission of teaching students about healthy eating habits. That learning is continuing thanks to Ohio State’s Family and Consumer Science Education program, which is working with staff at Rosa Parks Elementary on making healthy food choices, how to read food labels, food safety, and the importance of physical activity.