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NJ School Breakfast Enews

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June 2012

As the school year comes to an end, here is some food for thought: Thousands of New Jersey children arrive at school hungry each morning and are missing out on the breakfast that can help them succeed.

The NJ Food For Thought School Breakfast Campaign aims to change that. In this first e-news from the campaign, we bring you the latest info about what’s happening around New Jersey on the school breakfast front.

And we have lots to report! A growing number of districts are meeting the challenges of serving breakfast right after school starts, instead of before school when most children have not yet arrived. Known as “breakfast after the bell,” this includes classroom breakfast, grab-n-go and other effective ways of ensuring that more children get a nutritious start to their school day.

Led by Advocates for Children of New Jersey and the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition, the campaign is driven by a statewide steering committee that includes state agencies, anti-hunger, education and health organizations and child advocates. 

View a list of campaign partners.

The campaign aims to achieve a 30 percent increase in student participation in the federal school breakfast program by June 2013, meaning tens of thousands more children will eat breakfast every single school day. New Jersey is nearly last in the nation for its low participation in this federal program. With your help, we can change that!

The brand new NJ school breakfast website --- njschoolbreakfast.org -- is chock full of helpful info -- fact sheets, NJ data, links to school breakfast resources and inspiring, instructional stories from across New Jersey -- that can help you jumpstart the school breakfast program in your district.

Visit njschoolbreakfast.org.

We hope you will use these resources to feed hungry school children.

School Breakfast Pioneers Feed Thousands of Children

Some New Jersey school districts are ahead of the curve when it comes to serving school breakfast. We’ve compiled the stories of five districts – Newark, North Brunswick, Vineland, Passaic and Perth Amboy – to show how a growing number of districts are meeting the challenges of serving breakfast after the bell.

Read their stories.

Union City Parent Advocates for School Breakfast

This short video depicts the inspiring story of one parent’s successful efforts to jumpstart a school breakfast movement in her school district. One person really can make a difference for kids!

View the video.

Tell us Your School Breakfast Story

We want to hear from you! Is your school district serving breakfast in the classroom, grab-n-go or using some other effective approach? Please tell us how you are ensuring that children start their school day with a full stomach.

Need help implementing an effective school breakfast program?

Are you interested in changing the way you serve breakfast to your students? Technical assistance is just a click away.

Visit our resource pages to find technical assistance and grants that can help you meet the logistical challenges of serving breakfast after the bell.

Plus, a new round of grants is also available through the National Dairy Council and General Mills Foodservice' Fuel Up (TM) Breakfast Grants. Schools looking to develop or expand their breakfast programs can qualify for grants of up to $2,000. Applications must be received by July 31, 2012.  Learn more.

Please share this e-news with your friends and colleagues who can help advance the effort to expand school breakfast in New Jersey.

Advocates for Children of New Jersey
 35 Halsey Street 2nd Floor, Newark, NJ 07102
(Between Bleeker St. and Central Ave.)
973.643.3876 I Fax 973.643.9153 I www.acnj.org 
Questions about this newsletter can be directed  to the
Communications Director.
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The Food for Thought School Breakfast Campaign is a partnership of state agencies, child advocates, anti-hunger coalitions, statewide education organizations and national organizations.

View a list of campaign partners.

In This Issue

School breakfast NJ pioneers

Parent Leads Breakfast Campaign

Tell Us Your Story

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