Check out NEA HIN’s ‘School Breakfast Week’ blog series all week long. We will feature two of our partner organizations talking about the importance of breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle. As always, let us know what you are doing to promote breakfast in your school or community, and have a healthy and happy School Breakfast Week!
How time flies! It seems School Breakfast Week is almost over and I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing from our various partners and affiliates who are making a difference by providing nutritious breakfasts at their schools.
Whether you’re a principal, teacher, custodian, food service worker, school bus driver, school nurse, or a school support employee, everyone plays an important roles in ensuring that students thrive academically, emotionally and physically.
School employees often witness the heavy toll of hunger and poverty on children, as more than 1 in 7 Americans receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as The Food Stamp Program). According to FRAC, that number equates to approximately 46.5 million people who participated in SNAP (as of December 2011).
As I wrote about in my blog earlier this week, hungry, malnourished children do not learn as well as their peers. In contrast, students who are well-nourished have fewer behavioral and attendance problems, and perform better on tests.
At NEA HIN, we know NEA members care deeply about the health and well-being of students and are committed to ensuring they have the nutrition they need to learn, grow and succeed. They understand the connection between hunger and academic achievement; realize the barriers for students getting to school early, and the stigma for low-income children eating free or reduced-price breakfast in the traditional cafeteria setting.
Data has shown that when breakfast is brought from the cafeteria and into the classroom, participation in the School Breakfast Program can reach optimal levels. So whether you are the ones preparing breakfast, helping to serve breakfast, cleaning-up after breakfast has been eaten, or advocating on behalf of hungry children, YOU play an important role in making sure healthy, nutritious food gets to students.
School employees are champions for breakfast and work tirelessly to ensure students live happy and healthy lives! During School Breakfast Week we honor their service and dedication to student health.
For more information on NEA HIN’s resources and programs as they relate to hunger check out the following:
- Start School with Breakfast: A Guide to Increasing School Breakfast Participation – This publication from the NEA Health Information Network and Share Our Strength provides information about the benefits of school breakfast, new ways to increase school breakfast participation, useful tools for advocates and success stories from other districts.
- Breakfast in the Classroom – For NEA members working in districts with high rates of free and reduced price students, consider advocating for Breakfast in the Classroom, which is proven to increase participation in the School Breakfast Program.
For more information on NEA HIN’s partner organizations:
- Action for Healthy Kids is releasing its school grant program for the 2012-2013 school year where over 500 schools will be awarded with grants that include building effective alternative breakfast programs. Applications are due May 5, 2012.
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