National School Breakfast Week

How to Get Involved   

Schools

**Note: This section is geared towards working with schools that are already participating in the School Breakfast Program. If there are schools in your county that do not offer breakfast and you are interested in trying to get them to participate, please contact: Julia Salomon, MS, RD, CD julia.salomon@ces.uwex.edu

What You Can Do:

• Contact the food service director at your local school or school district and introduce yourself. Find out if they have any events for National School Breakfast Week and see how you can help to promote and/or participate.
  
  
• Write an article for your local school newsletter on the importance of breakfast and suggest the School Breakfast Program as a great option to get a great tasting nutritious breakfast. For sample publications, see School Breakfast Fundamentals – Promotional material.
  
  
• Teach about breakfast in the weeks leading up to and during National School Breakfast Week. For breakfast lessons see Resource Section.
  
  
• Learn while you eat: Lead a breakfast or nutrition activity over breakfast during National School Breakfast Week. For fun activities for kids of all ages, see Resources Section.
  
  
• Offer to hold an educational event for school staff on the importance of breakfast. Feature quick and healthy breakfasts that will help them to set good examples for their students. See Resource Section for innovative school breakfast menu ideas and handouts.

Community

What You Can Do:

• Work with your local obesity or hunger coalition to coordinate your efforts to promote the School Breakfast Program.
  
  
• Write an article for your local newspaper on the importance of breakfast or on the School Breakfast Program and its benefits.

** Get any event information from your local schools. For sample news releases, see Resource Section and School Breakfast Fundamentals – Promotional material.

• Conduct displays on the importance of breakfast at sites throughout your community. Encourage the use of the School Breakfast Programs as one way to eat breakfast. Have income guidelines handy so you can help people determine if their children may be eligible for free or reduced school meals. For guidelines, see School breakfast Program brochure.

Send a public service announcement (PSA) to your local radio station. For examples of effective PSA’s, see School breakfast
Fundamentals – Promotional material.

• Send breakfast facts and ideas to your local cable network to play in between local events and news pieces. Use facts and tip sheets to obtain information, see Resource Section.
  
  
• Host a breakfast cooking demo at your local school and promote the School Breakfast Program.

Clients

What You Can Do:

• Teach about breakfast in the weeks leading up to and during National School Breakfast Week. For teaching resources, see Resource Section.
  
  
• Promote the School Breakfast Program at relevant education sessions and with your clients who have school-age children or grandchildren, especially those who might qualify free or reduced price meals (those receiving Food Share benefits or W2 cash program). ** The majority of people that WNEP reaches will qualify free or reduced price meals.