Students at all Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 elementary and middle schools will again see an increase in fruit and vegetable options at school, thanks to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

Benny, Smith, Carman-Buckner, Clark, Cooke, Clearview, Glen Flora, Glenwood, Greenwood, Hyde Park, Little Fort, Lyon Magnet, McCall, North, Oakdale, Washington, and Whittier, are among approximately 360 schools in Illinois awarded a FFVP grant. In total, these 17 Waukegan schools will be awarded more than $400,000 to fund the program. Additionally, District 60 will self-fund the FFVP program at Abbott, Juarez and Lewis middle schools.

The program’s goal is to provide free fresh fruits and vegetables to students outside of regular school meals, so that students experience a variety of produce options.  FFVP provides all students in participating schools access to a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables at least twice a week. The grant targets elementary and middle schools with the highest eligibility in the free and reduced-price categories within the National School Lunch Program.