School Breakfast Grantees: Proposal Summaries
Through a competitive process, AASA chose four districts to work with on the project. They are:
Brentwood Union Free School District; Brentwood, N.Y.
Cincinnati Public Schools; Cincinnati, Ohio
Riverside Unified School District; Riverside, Calif.
Syracuse City School District; Syracuse, N. Y.
Each of these districts will receive tailored technical assistance from AASA, communications consultants, and project mentors from Action for Healthy Kids and the Children’s Defense Fund.
Brentwood Union Free School District
"Bring on Breakfast in Brentwood”
- Superintendent: Joseph Bond
- Number of schools: 17
- Enrollment: 16,576
- Percent eligible for free and reduced priced meals: 72%
Brentwood has come up with a creative and innovative plan to increase the number of students participating in school breakfast. Their team plans to have three different approaches in all of their schools: Breakfast in the Classroom in the elementary schools, Grab'n'Go in the middle and the high schools, and Breakfast After First Period in one of the middle schools. The district will have a phased pilot program starting in January 2012 in two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The rest of the schools will be rolled out slowly throughout the grant period. Brentwood’s partners include the American Dairy Association and Council, Healthy Schools of NY Suffolk County BOCES, and local Hispanic community groups.
Cincinnati Public Schools
- Superintendent: Mary Ronan
- Number of schools: 57
- Enrollment: 296,943
- Percent eligible for free and reduced priced meals: 74%
Superintendent Ronan kicked off breakfast initiative for the 2011-2012 school year, which includes alternative breakfast models for all elementary schools. Through this grant, the School Breakfast Team will focus on the 14 secondary schools. Their team plans to implement a Grab'n'Go program via breakfast kiosks and vending machines.
They have a robust nutrition education and outreach component that includes providing information to parents via in home mailing and information on the website, community wide events, and student raffles and promotions. Cincinnati has strong community support and has partners with Center for Closing the Gap, Alliance for Healthier Generation, and Cincinnati Parents for Public Services, among others.
Riverside Unified School District
“Start Your Day RIGHT (Riverside is Getting Healthier Together)”
- Superintendent: Rick Miller
- Number of schools: 47
- Enrollment: 43,000
- Percent eligible for free and reduced priced meals: 69%
The Riverside program plan will provide each student access to a nutrient-rich breakfast by offering Grab'n'Go and Breakfast in the Classroom, free to all students. They will work in 36 schools at all grade levels. While the elementary schools plan to do Breakfast in the Classroom, the secondary schools will operate Grab and Go or Second Chance Breakfast, depending on school need. They plan to produce videos on their website, PSAs, billboards, and articles in the school newsletters to inform parents and the community about this initiative. Their partners for this project include the Mayor’s Office, Riverside Unified School District’s Family Services Supervisors, the Kaiser Permanente Foundation, and the Riverside County Department of Public Health and Nutrition Services.
Syracuse City School District
“Break Fast for Success”
- Superintendent: Sharon Contreras
- Number of schools: 32
- Enrollment: 20,247
- Percent eligible for free and reduced priced meals: 83%
Syracuse City Schools’ program plan is to work in all of their schools at all grade levels. They will implement Breakfast in the Classroom at the elementary levels and Grab'n'Go at the secondary levels through vending machines. They will inform the community and parents through newsletters, brochures, web postings and radio. They will also hold parent information sessions and focus groups. They will provide nutrition, health and fitness incentives to students to motivate them to participate in school breakfast. Their community partners include American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, and the New York State American Dietetic Association.
CHECK OUT THESE SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS IN ACTION: