School breakfast is a valuable resource for families and educators: it connects kids with the nutrition they need to focus and excel. When kids feel better, they do better.
Despite the benefits of school breakfast, the program is underutilized. Barriers such as bus schedules, cafeteria logistics, and stigma prevent students from eating breakfast at school.
Breakfast After the Bell is a solution. By serving breakfast in the classroom or offering a “second chance” between class periods, schools can reduce these access barriers and make it easier for students and parents to navigate busy morning schedules.
And this has a real, powerful effect on kids. Research shows that kids who eat breakfast are more focused, score significantly higher on tests, and miss fewer days of school. That means those kids are more likely to graduate.
Did You Know? Serving breakfast after the bell can reduce chronic absenteeism (defined as missing three weeks or more of school) by an average of 6 percentage points.
Breakfast is one of the first moments of the day for schools to demonstrate their care for students and support for families. Breakfast After the Bell makes that commitment as accessible as possible.
To learn more about how YOU can make breakfast a part of the school day with Breakfast After the Bell, click here, or email us at ssteely@strength.org!
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No Kid Hungry is working across Virginia to ensure every child can access the healthy school meals they need to grow up healthy and strong. We:
- Provide grants to cover the equipment needs necessary to launch and improve school meal programs to reach more kids.
- Offer tools, resources, and training to help build and maintain successful and sustainable school meal programs.
- Build awareness among families and community members about the availability of school meals and the importance they play in nourishing our next generation.
- Advocate at the state and federal level for smart policies that make sure school meals are available to every child who needs them.