As kids head back to school, educators are focused on how to best ensure students succeed in the classroom and in life. That involves students being stronger, wiser, and more powerful. New findings from a national survey released by whole child partner Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign show thatbreakfast is key to academic success and ensuring this resilience for students. The findings also show that rethinking how we serve school breakfast is crucial to enhancing the educational experience for all.
Hunger In Our Schools: Teachers' Report 2013 (PDF) surveyed more than 1,200 K–8 teachers and principals nationwide. It finds that three out of four K–8 public school teachers and principals see kids who regularly come to school hungry because they aren't getting enough to eat at home. Extensive academic research shows hungry students can't learn or thrive, which is why the school breakfast program is so important. However, of the more than 21 million low-income kids in the U.S. who rely on a free or reduced-price school lunch, only half—about 11 million—currently get a school breakfast even though they qualify.
We can close this gap by creatively rethinking school breakfast. Traditionally schools serve breakfast in the cafeteria before class begins. We've learned that moving breakfast "after the bell" can make it easier for students to get a healthy morning meal.
Only one out of every four educators report students eat breakfast after the bell. However, teachers and
