March 2016

Wake Up to Breakfast!

March 7 to 11 is National School Breakfast Week – no better time to explore ways to expand your school breakfast participation so more kids begin their day with the nutrition they need to concentrate and learn.

Here’s a great toolkit with fun ideas to help your schools celebrate that all-important morning meal.

If you haven’t yet switched to serving breakfast after the bell, check out the NJ Food for Thought school breakfast implementation page where you’ll find a host of resources to help you roll-out an effective school breakfast program. Read on for great grant opportunities to help you get going…

Grant Opportunities

Action for Healthy Kids School Breakfast Grants
Deadline: April 1, 2016
Action for Healthy Kids is accepting School Grants for Healthy Kids applications for the 2016–2017 school year. Schools may apply for school breakfast grants ($500–$5,000) to pilot or expand their school breakfast programs or Game On Grants ($500–$2,500) to fund physical activity or nutrition initiatives. Visit actionforhealthykids.org/grants for more information and register for informational webinars: School Breakfast (March 1) and Game On (March 2).

2016 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grants
This $30 million in federal funding is available to districts participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and can be used to purchase equipment to serve healthier meals that meet the updated meal patterns. This competitive grant will give priority to high-need schools (i.e., schools in underserved areas, schools with limited access to other resources and age of food service equipment) where 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free- or reduced-price meals.

Find out more...

Fuel Up to Play 60: Breakfast Anytime, Anywhere Grant Opportunity
Deadline: Next application opens this spring and is due June 2016
Funding opportunities are available to any qualified K–12 school enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. This grant is sponsored by the National Dairy Council, state and regional Dairy Councils and other supporting organizations. This nationwide funding program provides up to $4,000 per year, per school, to help schools implement one Healthy Eating Play (including Breakfast Anytime, Anywhere) and one Physical Activity Play from the 2015–2016 edition of the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook.

Find out more...

Fuel Up to Play 60: School Nutrition Equipment Grant
Online application opens in early March 2016
Deadline: Thursday, June 30, 2016

Schools and districts are encouraged to apply for School Nutrition Equipment Grants of up to $5,000 for school year 2016–2017. These grants help school nutrition directors purchase equipment that will improve the long-term implementation of their school breakfast and lunch programs. Schools may apply individually, or districts may apply for multiple schools within their district.

Find out more...

ICYMI: FRAC Releases New School Breakfast Reports

NJ moved to 23rd in this year’s national school breakfast rankings – up from 46th when the NJ Food for Thought Campaign launched in 2011. In addition, Jersey City and Newark ranked 2nd and 5th, respectively, among urban districts across the U.S. Great job!

Check out these new reports from the Food Research and Action Center.
School Breakfast Scorecard
School Breakfast: Making it Work in Large Districts

Is Community Eligibility Right for Your District?

Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 1-2:15p.m. | Register here.
The Community Eligibility Provision provides a new way to fund school meals program and can increase student participation, while also bringing more federal dollars into your district. Hosted by the USDA, this webinar will explore the advantages of adopting CEP and an alternative breakfast model and will share strategies from schools that have benefitted from both.

Guidance on Healthy Meals Act

USDA released a series of research briefs that provide best practices for School Food Authorities' implementation of key provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, including fruits and vegetables, plate waste, sodium, student participation, revenue, whole grains, smart snacks and childhood obesity

Remember to visit us at njschoolbreakfast.org for data, reports, advocacy tools and implementation resources.