About the Challenge

Give ‘em breakfast. Give ‘em a boost.

The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge encourages
schools to start the day with school breakfast
so all students are ready to learn.

IT IMPROVES
  • Attendance
  • Behavior
  • Classroom participation
  • Attentiveness
  • Concentration
  • Math and reading scores
  • Standardized test scores
  • Cognitive test speed
  • Vocabulary
IT DECREASES
  • Anxiety
  • School nurse visits
  • Tardiness
  • Absenteeism1,2
School breakfast programs also make economic sense and have been shown
to increase revenue in the food service department.3

Breakfast Strategies

Customize your breakfast program to service the unique needs of your school.

Breakfast in the Cafeteria
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 Kettering Middle and Northern Local Sheridan
Grab ‘n Go
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 Wellston City, Winton Woods and Kettering Fairmont
Breakfast in the Classroom
Students eat together in the classroom and breakfast is delivered by the nutrition staff, students and/or volunteers. Ohio best practices include Indian Creek Wintersville, Worthington Granby and Akron Harrison Jackson
Second Chance Breakfast
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 Northmor Local
Explore more innovative and collaborative school breakfast practices.

Did you know in Ohio, breakfast counts as part of the school day when served in the classroom.5

Ohio School Breakfast Champion
& Challenge Award

Schools offering the school breakfast program are encouraged to participate in the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge. Submit participation data for February 1, 2019 thru March 29, 2019. School food authorities will receive a survey gizmo email the last week of March 2019 to report breakfast meals served, serving days and enrollment.

 

Awards

Schools that meet the breakfast ADP rates as stated below will be notified of their award level in May 2019. Schools will receive an All-Star recognition banner to proudly display in their school.


Breakfast All-Stars

Schools that demonstrate a collaborative best practice to create, enhance or expand school breakfast are encouraged to apply for the Champions of Breakfast Award. Applications available January 2019. Nominations will be accepted thru February 1, 2019. Champion Award-winning schools will be announced during National School Breakfast Week, March 2019.

Get the Word Out

Promote and share school breakfast social media messages to your community thru e-newsletters, Facebook and Twitter. Hashtag: #OHSBC. Explore the resource page for more promotion ideas!

In The News

2018 Champions of School Breakfast Awards

The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge is pleased to announce the 2018 Champions of Breakfast Award Winners. Schools were recognized for their innovative and collaborative school breakfast practices.

Akron Harrison-Jackson

Cincinnati Public

Indian Creek Wintersville

Kettering Fairmont

Kettering Middle

Northern Local-Sheridan

Northmor Local

Wellston City

Winton Woods Elementary

Worthington Granby

 

2017 Champions of School Breakfast Awards

Click here for the 2017 Champions of School Breakfast Award Winners announcement

Click here to learn more about the 2017 winners

2018 All Star Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2018-School Breakfast Challenge All-Star Award Winners!

329 Ohio schools met the Ohio School Breakfast Challenge criteria. Breakfast Challenge All-Star schools will receive recognition and an All-Star Breakfast Banner.

 

 

2017 Breakfast Challenge Award Winners

Click here for the Spring 2017 School Breakfast Challenge Award announcement

Click here for the Spring 2017 School Breakfast Challenge Award Winners

 

 

2016 Breakfast Challenge Award Winners

Click here for the Fall 2016 Ohio School Breakfast Challenge announcement

Click here for the Fall 2016 Ohio School Breakfast Challenge Award Winners

 

Ohio Education Groups Support Breakfast

The Ohio School Breakfast Challenge is supported by more than 25 school and health organizations.

Hear why this new initiative is important to the following groups:

Ohio School Board Association

State Board of Education

Ohio PTA

Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators

Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

Ohio Association of School Business Officials

Ohio Education Service Center Association

Brought to You By:

CITATIONS
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.
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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.