Breakfast in the Classroom

The Importance of Partnerships

“It adds to the family feel of the classroom. We all sit down; we eat together, the kids help clean up. They take care of each other.”

Debra Hufschmitt

Sedgefield Elementary School, Guilford, NC
“Breakfast makes me think better.”

Daniel

Student at Cochran Elementary School, Louisville, KY
“I can’t say enough about how the Breakfast in the Classroom program has positively impacted student and school climate. ”

Michael Diggins

Francis C. Hammond Middle School, Alexandria, VA

Benefits

There are many academic benefits of Breakfast in the Classroom:

improved classroom performance
reduced tardiness and absenteeism
fewer visits to the nurse or principal’s office

Studies show that children who do not eat breakfast are at an academic disadvantage. They have slower memory recall, make more errors, and are more likely to repeat a grade. But most importantly, through breakfast in the classroom programs, children who were hungry now have fresh, healthy food to eat.

Partners

The NEA Foundation is proud to work with the Food Research & Action Center, the National Association of Elementary School Principals Foundation, and the School Nutrition Foundation as Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom. Together, the Partners ensure that more public school districts across the country can serve breakfast in their classrooms.

For more information and to apply for a Breakfast in the Classroom grant visit: www.breakfastintheclassroom.org.

All students deserve a nutritious breakfast, but not all of them have access to one. That is why the NEA Foundation is partnering with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to provide resources and training to educators to implement a breakfast after the bell program in their school.

Breakfast after the bell programs increase access to a nutritious breakfast by maximizing convenience and overcoming barriers to participation. Through these programs, breakfasts are directly delivered to classrooms, distributed via centrally located kiosks, or served during an extended break typically offered between first and second periods. Making breakfast both convenient and available to all, by offering it free to every student regardless of income at a time when they are already in school significantly increases participation in the School Breakfast Program.

Through this 10-month fellowship, educators will:

work with their schools to design and implement a program to feed students after the bell rings;
receive in-person and online training and support to get their program up and running;
present their work at their NEA state or local conference or meeting;
engage with other educators from across the country.

This fellowship is available to current members of the National Education Association (NEA) who are educators in public schools. We especially encourage education support professionals* to apply.

Applicants will need to submit letters of support from their building leadership, local education association, and school nutrition staff with their application in order to be eligible.

* Education support professionals can be classified as: para-educators, school bus drivers, maintenance and custodial staff, food services staff, school nurses and student services workers, clerical and office assistants, school security officers, and technicians.