Many more students will now have their first meal in the classroom as the ‘Breakfast in the Classroom’ program is being expanded from eleven schools to 25 schools.
Launched in April, earlier this year, the Action for Healthy Kids ‘Breakfast in the Classroom’ program makes it easy for schools to help youth and their families eat healthy and be active every day.
The targeted schools have among the highest rates of eligibility for the free and reduced price meal program.
The participating schools are: Grand Avenue Primary Learning Center, Ivey Lane, Wheatley, Rock Lake, Richmond Heights, Shingle Creek, Eagles Nest, Engelwood, Frangus, Little River, Millennia, Mollie Ray, Oakshire, Orange Center, Sadler, Tangelo Park, Three Points, Ventura and Washington Shores elementary schools; and Carver, Liberty, Meadow Woods, Union Park, Westridge and Jackson middle schools.
The ‘Breakfast in the Classroom’ initiative differs from other school breakfast programs, in that kids no longer have to eat in the cafeteria before school and feel self-conscious about being labeled as “low income,” but eat in the classroom, no matter their income level. In addition, breakfast is served after the opening bell, while teachers take attendance, collect homework or teach short lesson plans, so kids do not miss out if the bus is late.
Breakfast in the Classroom is funded by the Walmart Foundation and more recently, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with a contribution of $20,000 for the program’s expansion in the 2011-2012 school year.
