Twenty-four Leander ISD elementary schools have been chosen to receive a total of $87,375 to support its Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative. LISD was selected from among hundreds of schools across the country that applied for funding to help them jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements. This nationwide funding program offers schools up to $4,000 to help them increase awareness of and access to nutrient-rich foods and physical activity opportunities for students. Funding for this competitive program is provided by the dairy farm families of Dairy MAX.
Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 provides support for a variety of activities and tools, such as foodservice materials and equipment, nutrition and physical education materials, student and staff incentives, staff development and overall Fuel Up to Play 60 implementation.
All LISD elementary schools will use the funds to install electronic menu boards to support the communication with students about the importance of healthy eating. The platform will promote new offerings, special activities and challenges for the students. The messaging and communication will be linked to the health and wellness curriculum of the PE and classroom teachers. Students will have access to a fully stocked recess cart and permanent activity stencils on each campus to provide structured activities during recess.
“Leander ISD is committed to the partnership with Fuel up to Play 60 and Dairy Max. The increase in physical activity offerings and consistent nutrition messaging across each campus will serve to ensure our students are making smart food and drink choices while also being as active as possible. This makes for happy and healthy students,” Kimberly Davies, LISD assistant athletic director, said.
More than 73,000 schools across the United States are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60. Developed by National Dairy Council, local Dairy Councils and National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Multiple health organizations and several major corporations also support Fuel Up to Play 60.
