The Pilot Club of Great Bend helped guide the Great Bend USD 428 5th graders in their tour of the Body Venture educational experience.  Pilot International has a focus on brain health and proper nutrition and being physically active, especially at a young age, leads to better overall health including brain health.
Body Venture is an exciting tour of the human body featuring engaging, experiential educational activities. It is a unique Kansas educational program designed for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Children will travel through a larger than life human body display, participating in entertaining, hands-on activities along the way that teach the importance of making healthful food choices and being physically active. Students begin in the school lunchroom where they each become a piece of food that then travels to all parts of the body. Students learn at stations in the exhibit how their food choices impact every part of the body.
Lifestyle choices made at early ages have a direct impact on adult health. Students need to learn about healthy lifestyle choices and to avoid behaviors that have an adverse impact on adult health. Healthy eating and physical activity are important life skills that help children grow and prevent them from developing health problems, such as obesity, later in life. Obesity in youth often carries over into adulthood contributing to the development of many chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes. Teachers need additional resources to increase nutrition knowledge and improve eating skills of elementary school students. Body Venture can help meet these needs.