Eight Schools Demonstrate Outstanding Participation in Breakfast Programs
No Kid Hungry and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are excited to announce the winners of the Access to Breakfast (A2B) Challenge. The A2B Challenge is designed to enhance LAUSD’s school breakfast program by engaging teachers, nutrition staff and principals and emphasizing the importance of breakfast in students’ school day. Of the over 1,500 schools in LAUSD’s four regions, eight winning schools were selected.
The ultimate goal of the A2B Challenge was to inspire and support the start of 15-20 new Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) programs and help increase daily breakfast participation by 10,000 kids. Schools competed in two categories: the highest increase in breakfast participation and the highest participation rate based on average daily attendance. The winning schools are:
North Region:
- Gridley Elementary (Highest Participation)
- Mosk Elementary (Biggest Jump in Participation)
South Region:
- Broadacres Avenue Elementary (Highest Participation)
- Annalee Elementary (Biggest Jump in Participation)
West Region:
- Ambassador Global Education School (Highest Participation)
- Brockton Elementary (Biggest Jump in Participation)
East Region:
- Gratts Elementary (Highest Participation)
- Bell High School (Biggest Jump in Participation)
“Breakfast in the Classroom seems like such a simple idea and yet it has such a profound impact on students and their performance in school,” said Manish Singh, LAUSD Director of Food Services. “When all students have access to a healthy breakfast after the start of the school day, everyone has the same chance to succeed. It really is the most important meal of the day!”
Eating school breakfast has a real, powerful effect on kids. Research shows that kids who eat breakfast are more focused, score significantly higher on tests, and miss less days of school. That means those kids are more likely to graduate. Breakfast in the Classroom allows students to eat breakfast after the school day has begun, ensuring that a hectic morning or a late bus doesn’t make them miss the morning meal.
“Breakfast in the Classroom is a proven program for ensuring that kids get the nutrition they need in the morning to start their days energized and ready to learn,” said Daisy Munguia, associate director of No Kid Hungry California. “The A2B Breakfast Challenge helps to put a spotlight on the importance of school breakfast and the real difference it can make in putting our students on a pathway to success.”
Albertsons Companies Foundation, CVS Health Foundation, and General Mills have signed on as Breakfast Hero sponsors for the A2B Breakfast Challenge and are joined by Dollar Tree and Habit Burger & Grill as in-kind sponsors, all to encourage breakfast participation by providing generous support to enhance the program for school participants.
Ways You Can Help
Donate: $1 can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need. *Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.
Speak up for kids: Reach out to your elected officials and ask them to do more to end childhood hunger. Tell your lawmaker to advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need.
