BISD Food Service Awarded $37,000 Grant

This summer, the Brownwood Independent School District’s (BISD) Child Nutrition Department in partnership with Southwest Foodservice Excellence was awarded the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Expanding 3E’s Grant.  BISD was one of only eight districts throughout Texas to receive this grant.  Through this grant TDA awarded BISD more than $37,000 to utilize in expanding their current 3Es program.  TDA is authorized by §12.0027 of the Texas Agriculture Code to administer the 3E's Grant Program to promote better health and nutrition programs and prevent obesity among children in this state. The objective of the program is to increase awareness of the importance of good nutrition, especially for children, and to encourage children's health and well-being through Education, Exercise, and Eating right.

BISD will utilize this grant specifically to expand the Healthy Helpers/Get Fit Program.  Currently, the Child Nutrition Department of BISD conducts the Healthy Helpers portion of the program monthly.  During each session the cafeteria managers educate the children on various topics related to nutrition and healthy choices in their food intake. 

The program interacts with the students through dialogues with the kitchen manager and completing activities specifically related to the lesson plan.  The students then create their own healthy meal and consume it.  Also, this gives the Child Nutrition Department a chance to interact with the students and determine what food choices the students would like to see incorporated into the menus.  Through this interaction, the Child Nutrition Department has been able to increase participation in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program.

The Get Fit Program has enabled our students to understand the relationship between physical activity and health throughout their lifespan.  Many of the physical education lesson plans for Get Fit focus on the complete health of the student.  BISD physical education teachers and coaches have numerous programs that teach our students the importance of being “Heart Healthy.”  The Get Fit portion of the grant program will be implemented by PE teachers and coaches at Coggin Intermediate School and the three elementary campuses.

BISD and the Brownwood community will greatly benefit from this grant by expanding existing programs and lessons within Healthy Helpers and Get Fit.