All 24 participating schools ‘won’ with increases in overall school breakfast participation
DENVER (March 6, 2013) – Bringing home “gold” served as a driving force for 24 high schools vying in this year’s Colorado School Breakfast Challenge, called the 2012-13 Breakfast Games. With a goal to improve overall student participation in their breakfast program, each competing school saw an up-tick in participation over the five-month period. Six schools around the state will be recognized as winners of the challenge with an award and cash prize ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 during National School Breakfast Week, March 4-8.
The 2012-13 Breakfast Games, presented by the Colorado No Kid Hungry Campaign, opened in September 2012 and ran through January 2013. The 24 invited high schools competed in three categories, and the top two schools with the highest overall participation rate in each category will be crowned champions at on-site award ceremonies, with two happening on March 7 and 8. One school also received an honorary “bronze” prize for a nearly 40 percent percentage-point increase in overall participation.
The complete list of the 2012-13 winners is as follows:
- For the innovative breakfast-serving model with all-student access:
- Northridge High School of Weld County School District 6 awarded gold and $4,000
- Centennial High School of Pueblo City 60 School District awarded silver and $2,000
- For the innovative breakfast-serving model with free or reduced-price qualifying student access:
- Pueblo County High School of Pueblo County School District 70 awarded gold and $4,000
- Central High School of Mesa County Valley School District 51 awarded silver and $2,000
- For the traditional breakfast-serving model:
- George Washington High School of Denver Public Schools awarded gold and $4,000
- Wheat Ridge High School of Jeffco Public Schools awarded silver and $2,000
- Special recognition for the largest participation increase by percentage point:
- Wasson High School of Colorado Springs School District 11 awarded $1,000
“All children in Colorado deserve to have access to a nutritious breakfast so they can be prepared to learn and succeed in school,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper. “This year’s competition shows that schools statewide can make strides in their breakfast program’s participation. We applaud all of the participating schools for being breakfast champions.”
The annual Colorado School Breakfast Challenge is hosted by the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, a statewide, public-private initiative of Hunger Free Colorado, Share Our Strength and the Office of Governor John Hickenlooper. Together, the campaign partners are working to ensure that all children have nutritious food at home, at school and in their communities.
The campaign’s comprehensive five-year plan details 10 goals to end child hunger by 2015, with one focused on the statewide expansion of the School Breakfast Program. This program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals with a healthy start to each school day. For the 2011-12 school year, 122,773 daily school breakfasts were served, a growth of 13.15 percent compared to the previous year.
“One in five children in Colorado is at risk of hunger and a recent Share Our Strength survey showed that three in five teachers say children regularly come to school hungry,” said Summer Gathercole, director of Share Our Strength Colorado. “After-the-bell models make school breakfast more accessible and ensure our students are prepared to learn each day.”
As part of the campaign, Hunger Free Colorado works with schools and communities to increase participation in the School Breakfast Program by assisting with the implementation of innovative serving models that incorporate breakfast as part of the school’s morning routine. Instead of the traditional method of serving breakfast in the cafeteria before classes start, elementary to high schools can make it easier for students by offering Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab and Go, Breakfast After First Period or another after-the-bell program.
“Eating breakfast is linked to higher math scores, higher academic achievement, lower truancy, lower absenteeism, fewer visits to the school nurse, and better behavior in the classroom,” said Kathy Underhill, executive director of Hunger Free Colorado, the state’s leading anti-hunger organization. “Providing a nutritious start to the school day is not only an effective way to address child hunger, but it also helps set up Colorado students for success.”
The campaign recognizes all of the other participating high schools in the 2012-13 Breakfast Games for their achievement of increasing their breakfast program’s participation:
- Colorado Springs / Pueblo
- Mitchell High School of Colorado Springs School District 11
- Central High School, East High School and South High School of Pueblo City 60 School District
- Denver
- Adams City High School of Adams School District 14
- Westminster High School of Adams School District 50
- Gateway High School of Adams-Arapahoe 28J School District
- Overland High School of Cherry Creek School District
- Abraham Lincoln High School, East High School, Martin Luther King Jr. Early College, Montbello High School and South High School of Denver Public Schools
- Jefferson High School of Jeffco Public Schools
- Skyline High School of St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J
- Greeley Central High School and Greeley West High School of Weld County School District 6
Thanks to the following organizations for their support during the 2012-13 Breakfast Games: USDA, Cooking Matters Colorado, Western Dairy Association and the Olympic Training Center.
For more information on the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, visit NoKidHungry.org/Colorado. To learn more about the annual Colorado School Breakfast Challenge, the issue of hunger in Colorado and how you can be a part of the solution, visit HungerFreeColorado.org.
Media Contact: Michelle Ray, Director of Communications, (720) 432-0255