Students study the body head to toe

Students from Eugene Ware Elementary learn about the human mouth while inside a large tent-like replica, Tuesday morning. Rayma Silvers/Tribune Photo

On Tuesday, students at Eugene Ware Elementary were taken on extraordinary adventures which resulted in their digesting the importance of making healthy choices.

To emphasize the need to maintain a healthy diet and remain physically active, the local elementary schools participated in the Body Venture program, sponsored by the Child Nutrition and Wellness Department at the Kansas State Department of Education. Body Venture is an exciting educational exhibit which travels to various elementary schools throughout Kansas, according to www.bodyventure.org.

The 35-foot by 40-foot walk-through exhibit actively teaches students about specific areas of the human body. Students walk through eleven different stations during their tour through the body, the Web site said.

"The tour begins in the school lunchroom when students, in groups of eight to ten receive a food tag designating them as a food such as a carrot, strawberry or piece of cheese," the Web site said "... The foods step into the exhibit's larger-than-life mouth and are swallowed through the esophagus tunnel and move into the stomach dome."

According to the Web site, the students travel through the brain, small intestine, heart, lungs, bones, muscles and skin stations leaving the body through a cut in the skin.

Eugene Ware Elementary Principal Billie Jo Drake said she was pleased with the Body Venture program as the lessons the students learned go well with the objective of the School Wellness Committee.

"It was a very beneficial exhibit for the students to walk through," Drake said. "It was very educational and focused on healthy eating and the need to take care of our bodies."

The Parent Teacher Organizations in both schools asked parents to volunteer their time to help with the program. Drake attributed part of the program's success to the diligence of the PTO and the willingness of parents to help with the exhibit. She added 16 parents and 41 teachers and staff worked together to help the event go according to plan.

"It went very smoothly because of the hard work of the PTO," she said. "It (hard work) made it easy for us to enjoy the academic exhibit."

According to a press release from Winfield Scott Elementary physical education teacher Chris Sather, Body Venture provided a one-of-a-kind activity which equipped the students with healthy lifestyle information.

"Body Venture is a wonderful way for students to have fun learning about health and nutrition and physical activity," the press release said.

The exhibit was created in order to provide an opportunity for elementary school students in Kansas to learn about their bodies and the significance of living healthy lifestyles, according to the press release.

"The exhibit was developed to address increasing national concerns about the lack of physical activity and the declining nutritional status of young children," the press release said.

Eugene Ware Elementary School employee Laura Nation asks students participating in Tuesday's tour through the human body to plug their noses and breathe through a straw in their mouths. The demonstration allowed the students to see first hand the difficulty a person who has smoker's lung must endure in order to breathe. Rayma Silvers/Tribune Photo

Winfield Scott Elementary School students are slated to participate in this activity today.