Celebrate the Most Important Meal of the Day

It’s National School Breakfast Week and we’re partnering with No Kid Hungry to launch the Minnesota Breakfast Challenge. The Challenge encourages schools to start a breakfast program or increase students’ participation in a current breakfast program through a fun, friendly competition.

“Schools often serve breakfast before the school day begins, but because of family work schedules, transportation issues, and kids’ fear of being labeled “the poor kid who needs free breakfast,” many vulnerable children miss out on the nutrition they need to start the day,” said Theresa McCormick, Second Harvest Heartland’s Director of Programs. “Children who have access to breakfast can focus better in class, making them more likely to achieve in school and graduate.”

Reaching more kids today through school breakfast sets them up to succeed in the future.

The Challenge is open to all schools in Minnesota and takes place the entire month of March. The first-place prize is $1,000! And we’re giving schools the tools they need to succeed with a beautiful toolkit complete with challenge details, templates, and language and images they can use to celebrate school breakfast while engaging in some friendly competition with other schools. 

Each school that joins the Minnesota School Breakfast Challenge is eligible to apply for No Kid Hungry Breakfast grants to support their participation.

The National School Breakfast Program serves more than 14 million children every school day. Through our Child Hunger Initiative, Second Harvest Heartland works with schools to help them access the tools and resources they need to start a successful school breakfast program.

Learn More!

Learn more about how you can support this important work. And if you’re looking for ways to increase healthy school breakfast in your community, encourage your school and district leaders to pursue Breakfast After the Bell.