Growing Your Breakfast Program

1. Growing Your Breakfast Program

2. Presentation Overview • Benefits of breakfast • Current situation • Goal: increase participation • Addressing concerns • Next steps

3. Benefits of Breakfast • Nutritional Benefits • Academic Benefits

4. Nutritional Benefits • Energy for mental and physical activities • Improved nutrient intake • Decrease risk of being overweight • Fewer visits to school nurse

5. Academic Benefits • Improved test scores • Enhanced cognitive functions • Increased attentiveness in class • Improved behavior • Decreased absences

6. The School Environment • Improved behavior and concentration contributes to positive learning environment • Helping students learn and perform better • Promoting breakfast promotes overall school health

7. Why Don’t Kids Eat Breakfast ? • No food at home • No time in the morning • Not hungry in the morning • Long commute • Don’t get to school on time

8. Eligibility and Participation • Approximately 12.8 million children participated in the School Breakfast Program in SY 12-13 • Approximately 10.8 million of those children received a free and reduced price breakfast • Breakfast participation has risen from previous years but still lags behind NSLP participation • 74% of Wisconsin schools that participate in the school lunch program also offer the school breakfast program

9. Free & Reduced Participation Millions

10. Eligibility and Participation • In XYZ State/district:

11. Free & Reduced Participation

12. Barriers to Participation • Not enough time • Bus schedule • Lack of personnel to supervise • Students prefer socializing outside • Lack of support • Stigma

13. Goal: Increase Participation • Implement alternative serving method • Breakfast in the classroom • Grab 'n' Go • Mid-morning nutrition break • Implement alternative financial model • Universal Free • Elimination of Reduced Price • Change in menu offerings

14. Breakfast in the Classroom • Breakfast incorporated into the school day • Teachers can accomplish administrative tasks or teach nutrition education while students eat • Address barriers • Does not take away instructional time • No change in bus schedules • Children have time to eat • Reduces stigma • Successful in elementary schools

15. Teachers Say “The breakfast program offered in our classroom not only provides a healthy and nutritious start of a student’s day, it also provides a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. Our students begin their day with full stomachs, in good moods, ready to tackle a day’s learning.” (teacher) “Our school participates in the Breakfast-on-the-go program that’s set-up in the classroom each morning. I enjoy the program because it is nutritious and convenient. Our morning begins by that month’s breakfast worker getting our crate of breakfast from the cafeteria and distributing them to the classrooms. My students eat their breakfast at their desk and this allows me that much needed engagement time with the students first thing in the morning. We talk about their evening at home or their plans for the holiday or weekend. We listen to Mozart with dimmed lighting and reflect together conversing, sharing and learning for about 20 minutes. I love it! It helps begin our day with a sense of community. The students enjoy it quite a bit and hate it if they miss it if they are late. I use this time as an incentive, by asking late students that want to talk about their day to write what they wanted to discuss in their journals, then maybe discussing it on their free time or the next day. The students nag their parents about being on time in the morning so that they won’t miss this essential time of day for our classroom. Breakfast in the classroom has helped me immensely.” (teacher)

16. Grab ‘n' Go • Unconstrained by cafeteria space • Students can eat anywhere • Quick and easy • Meals can be served from a cart or delivered to a classroom • Meals prepared and packaged before start of school day • Can reduce tardiness

17. Mid-Morning Nutrition Break • Breakfast served mid-morning, during a scheduled break • Bus schedules not an issue • Students enjoy breakfast • In the cafeteria • In the classroom • Grab 'n' Go • Works well in middle/high schools where teenagers start early and don’t feel hungry until later in the day

18. Elimination of Reduced Price • Students who qualify for reduced price meals eat for free • Schools offer their students two prices for breakfast – free and full price • Works best when: • School has high percentage of reduced price eligible students • Participation of reduced price eligible students is low

19. Universal Free Breakfast • Breakfast offered to all students free of charge • School claims reimbursement in the correct income category for that student • Decreases stigma • Works best in schools with a high percentage of free and reduced price eligible students

20. Outreach Efforts • Involving key stakeholders • Involving the community • Forming partnerships • Marketing

21. Goal: Increase Participation Current Strategies • [example: elimination of reduced price] • [example: we incorporated breakfast expansion into the wellness policy]

22. Goal: Increase Participation Challenges • [example: participation rates are low] • [example: need more administrative support] • [example: kids don’t have time to eat]

23. Goal: Increase Participation Future Strategies • [example: pilot breakfast in the classroom] • [example: meetings with key stakeholders] • [example: send home flyers]

24. Next Steps • Next Steps • [example: apply for grants] • [example: increase marketing efforts]

25. Questions