What is Power Panther Pals?

Power Panther Pals is an 8-week health education program for elementary students.  Now in its eighth year, Power Panther Pals encourages students to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; to eat more low-fat foods and calcium-rich foods, and to be physically active.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, Kansas Team Nutrition is offering two levels of Power Panther Pals to target elementary students. Power Panther Pals Primary is designed for students in grades K-2 and Power Panther Pals Intermediate focuses on tasting new foods, learning about food groups, and making healthy choices.

Cooking and tasting activities for the 2012-2013 school year will feature nut-free recipes. Power Panther Pals has been enthusiastically received by teachers and students alike.  Students now learn to prepare and then enjoy eating a variety of recipes featuring fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

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How does Power Panther Pals fit into my school’s wellness policy?

Power Panther Pals is designed to address multiple areas of the Kansas School Wellness Policy Model Guidelines.  Participating students receive 8-12 hours of health education with topics that include:

• Proper hand washing
• Importance of drinking adequate water
• Food groups
• Importance of eating a variety of foods
• Serving sizes
• Relationship of food intake (energy input) and physical activity (energy output)
• Nutrition Facts Label reading
• Choosing healthful foods using cafeteria meals, vended items and a la carte items as examples
• Basic food preparation skills.

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Why do Kansas kids need Power Panther Pals?

The incidence of obesity among children has been rapidly increasing in the United States.  The percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled since 1980, and that percentage has more than tripled among adolescents.  Although children have fewer weight-related health problems than adults, overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults.  Overweight and obese adults are at risk for a number of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer.  In addition to the physical health problems, overweight and obese students are also at risk of developing low self-esteem and self-blame as students must live in a society that continues to stigmatize this condition.  These psychological conditions may manifest themselves as impairments in students’ academic success or social functioning.

It can be difficult to appreciate just how significant overweight and obesity can be in children, especially since many weight-related health problems do not develop in childhood; however, there are a number of nutrition-related factors that can have a considerable impact in the classroom.  Studies have shown that “poor dietary choices, inadequate nutrient intake, and morning fasting have been linked to lower motivation and attentiveness in school, as well as lower academic performance.” 

Academic achievement and student health are directly connected.  Studies have found a link between physical activity, nutrition and improvements in test scores for students: “… research evidence has concluded that physical activity and nutrition significantly affect student achievement.”  Power Panther Pals provides an opportunity for educators to address both improved nutrition and physical activity habits to ensure that Kansas' students have every opportunity to achieve optimal health and academic success. 

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Who can participate?

The program can be implemented in regular classrooms, after-school programs, or in a specific subject-matter class (such as PE or Science).  Participating students must be enrolled in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade. Grantee schools must participate in at least one of the USDA school nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch Program.

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Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include school administrators, classroom teachers, teacher aides, food service personnel, school nurses, counselors, other school staff, community partners such as Extension personnel, community health professionals or parent volunteers.  This program can also be used by student teachers in collaboration with their assigned classroom teacher. If the applicant is not a certified classroom teacher, all instruction must be under the direction of a certified teacher.

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Does it cost anything to participate in Power Panther Pals?

All materials, supplies and funds for purchase of food and supplies are provided by the Kansas State Department of Education through U.S. Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition Training Grant funds.  All materials and resources needed for program implementation will be mailed to each participating classroom in December.  There is no charge to participants for these materials, and teachers may keep all remaining materials (including the Implementation Manual) at the conclusion of the program. 

Kansas Team Nutrition is able to provide mini-grant funding for schools selected at $5 per student to be used in the implemenation of program activities. More information on how mini-grant funding can be spent can be found in the application materials below.

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How do I apply?

Power Panther Pals applications are now available for SY 2013-14 on the Kansas Team Nutrition Homepage! Completed applications must be submitted to KSDE no later than August 31, 2013.

Do you want to be notified when new programs are available? Send us an email with your name, mailing address, and phone number and we'll add you to our mailing list. 

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Download Power Panther Pals Materials
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2012-13 Primary Materials:

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