As the nation continues to grapple with the pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year and may be heading to school with empty stomachs. Hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases.
Luckily, we have a powerful tool to combat childhood hunger at our disposal: nutritious school breakfasts. School breakfast is a critical way to ensure kids get the consistent nutrition they need to feel better, learn more and grow up strong.
School breakfast is intertwined with student success. Studies show that kids who eat school breakfast are more likely to excel academically, be more alert, and have better concentration and memory.
Here in Indiana, even as they face an immense set of challenges, including supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, school nutrition staff have adapted to ensure kids get a healthy meal to start the day.
This week, school districts across the state are celebrating National School Breakfast Week with fun activities, special recipe items, guest servers and more! For example, in School City of Hammond, they are celebrating with a district-wide spirit week with different themes for each day. O’Bannon Elementary will be having a classroom door decorating contest.
In honor of National School Breakfast Week, No Kid Hungry Indiana wants to celebrate our Hoosier School Breakfast Heroes!
A hero is anyone who takes action to improve the school breakfast program and helps kids get the nutrition they need to fuel their learning. Breakfast heroes can be anyone: a student who facilitates a taste test, a principal who promotes the program, a superintendent who supports a new breakfast service model, a teacher who lends a hand, or a school nutrition staff member who goes above and beyond. We know it takes a village to ensure every student is ready to learn each morning.
School breakfast heroes will be recognized on our website, in our newsletter and on our Facebook page and will receive a prize pack in recognition of their efforts.
Nominate Your School Breakfast Hero Here!
This National School Breakfast Week, we celebrate the importance of school breakfast and the critical role school nutrition professionals play in helping children succeed in and out of the classroom. Feeding kids today is one of the smartest investments we can make to ensure they’re ready to face the challenges of tomorrow.