About the Challenge
The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge encourages
schools to start the day with school breakfast
so all students are ready to learn.
- Attendance
- Behavior
- Classroom participation
- Attentiveness
- Concentration
- Math and reading scores
- Standardized test scores
- Cognitive test speed
- Vocabulary
- Anxiety
- School nurse visits
- Tardiness
- Absenteeism1,2
to increase revenue in the food service department.3
Breakfast Strategies
Customize your breakfast program to service the unique needs of your school.
Breakfast is served and eaten in the cafeteria. A variety of hot and cold menu items can be offered so students get a healthy start to their day. Ohio best practices include Millcreek West-Unity Local
Students pick up breakfast when they arrive at school and it is served in a variety of high-traffic areas such as the cafeteria, hall or entry ways. Ohio best practices include Bright Local, Graham Middle and Southern Local
Students eat together in the classroom and breakfast is delivered by the nutrition staff, students and/or volunteers. Ohio best practices include Garfield Heights City and Logan Hocking
Students get breakfast during a break in the morning after first period or mid-way between breakfast and lunch, similar to Grab ‘n Go. Ohio best practices include Cincinnati Public and Scioto Valley
Breakfast and Beyond Recognition for SY 2021-2022
Breakfast and Beyond recognizes districts or individual school(s) within a district, that demonstrate a collaborative approach and innovative strategies to expand access and participation in school meals.
How to Participate
School Districts will be notified to participate thru survey gizmo beginning in December 2021. Submit stories that
- include plans implemented between June 2021 thru December 2021
- demonstrate collaborative efforts, innovative strategies and practices
- maximize resources to expand and increase access to the school meal programs.
Stories can be submitted anytime between January 2022 thru April 15, 2022.
Recognizing Your Efforts
A selection of stories from around the state will be highlighted and shared on an ongoing basis (February through May 2022) with all Ohio School Breakfast Challenge partners, Ohio Education Associations and their membership, and other education, health and child focused organizations.
Districts submitting stories will receive
- an electronic medallion for use on school menus, website, social media, school district profile & other community focused communications.
- social media messages and a press release to share with their district and the community.
Get the Word Out
In The News
The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge partners are recognizing districts or an individual school within a district, that demonstrate a collaborative approach and innovative strategies to expand access and participation in school meals.
How to Participate
Click here to submit your story for SY 2021-22 Breakfast and Beyond. Beginning in January, 2022, school districts will receive an email from Survey Research/Alchemer to submit your story for Breakfast & Beyond.
Stories can be submitted anytime between January 2022 thru April 15, 2022.
To preview a copy of the submission form, click here
2020-21′ Breakfast & Beyond Recognition
Congratulations to the 2020-2021 Breakfast & Beyond districts and schools that received “Super Star” distinction and a medallion from the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge for their excellence, innovative and collaborative work to increase access to school meals during the pandemic.
Click here for a collection of stories that demonstrates how districts stepped up to the challenge to increase access to school meals during the pandemic.
Congratulations to the 2020 Champion of Breakfast Award Winners for their innovative and collaborative school breakfast practices, including their commitment to increasing school breakfast participation and empowering students to make healthy choices.
Click here for the 2020 Champion of Breakfast Award announcement, and click each school link below to view individual success stories.
- Black River Local School District
- Campbell City School District
- Carrollton Exempted Village School District
- Cincinnati Public Schools
- Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Dover City School District
- East Cleveland City Schools
- Hamilton City School District
- Hillsboro City School District
- Madison-Plains Local School District
- Northwest Local School District
- Paulding Exempted Village School District
- Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington School District
- Southern Local School District
- Wellston City School District
- Winton Woods City School District
- All 2020 Success Stories
2019 Champion of School Breakfast Awards
Click here for the list of 2019 Champion of Breakfast Award Winners and click on the links below for each winner’s success story, and click here for all 2019 Champion of School Breakfast success stories.
2018 Champion of School Breakfast Awards
Click here for the 2018 Champion of School Breakfast Award winners announcement, and click here for best practices.
2017 Champion of School Breakfast Awards
Click here for the 2017 Champion of School Breakfast Award winners announcement and success stories.
Click here for the 2019-20 Breakfast All-Star Announcement, and click here for a complete list of the 2019-20 Breakfast All-Star Schools.
2019 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners
Click here for the list of the 2019 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners.
2018 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners
Click here for the 2018 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners.
2017 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners
Click here for the Spring 2017 Breakfast All-Stars Award announcement.
Click here for the Spring 2017 Breakfast All-Stars Award Winners.
2016 Breakfast All-Star Award Winners
Click here for the Fall 2016 Breakfast All-Stars Award announcement.
Click here for the Fall 2016 Breakfast Challenge Award Winners.
Ohio Education Groups Support Breakfast
The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge is supported by more than 25 school and health organizations. Learn why from the following groups:
Brought to You By:
1 Breakfast Intake and Composition Is Associated with Superior Academic Achievement in Elementary Schoolchildren, Journal of the American College of Nutrition Vol. 35, Iss. 4,2016
2 Adolphus K1, Lawton CL2, Champ CL2, Dye L2. The Effects of Breakfast and Breakfast Composition on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Adv Nutr. 2016 May 16;7(3):590S-612S. doi: 10.3945/an.115.010256. Print 2016 May.
3 Wellness Impact Report: Enhancing Academic Success through Healthy School Environments – GENYOUth Foundation 2013 www.GENYOUthFoundation.org
4 2017, U.S. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, Center for Disease Control
5 Section 3313.813, Food Programs-Outdoor Education Centers, 3 (e)
*Annual Total ADP Definition: School Breakfast Annual Average Daily Participation Rates of total students enrolled based on food service monthly claims.
Sign up to take the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge for the 2014–15 school year.
Thank you for signing up.
A team member will contact you within two business days to help determine next steps for your school breakfast program.
