National School Breakfast Week is going on now and this year’s theme, “School Breakfast – Go for Gold!” was inspired by the idea that eating a healthy, balanced breakfast at school helps all students shine. The campaign launched this month and will run through March; National School Breakfast Week will be celebrated at schools across America March 5-9, 2012. Is your school participating?
Like any great program, the National School Breakfast Week theme has been designed to work in cooperation with, and to compliment, other programs with similar objectives; “School Breakfast – Go for Gold!” aligns itself with the USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC), as well as first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign.
A key element of National School Breakfast Week 2012 and the “School Breakfast — Go for Gold” theme is a design contest, in which students can design their own school breakfast t-shirt highlighting the benefits of eating a healthy school breakfast. The national grand prize winner will have their design recreated as a t-shirt to be sold in the Emporium. Local contests will run from January 1, 2012 through March 9, 2012, and national entries are due March 31, 2012. Click through for a full list of contest rules and entry forms.
A host of resources has been provided for school foodservice professionals to use during implementation of National School Breakfast Week in schools, including menus, tools & resources (including marketing & PR materials), and information on the design contest and NSBW participation sweepstakes.
School Breakfast — GO FOR GOLD!
The USDA HealthierUS School Challenge is a voluntary initiative, established in 2004, to recognize schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity. Since its inception, HUSSC has given awards to schools in 45 states; as of October 2011 there were 2161 schools certified through the HealthierUS School Challenge. If you are interested in applying to the HUSSC program you can access applications and instructions at the USDA website.
Let’s Move! is an initiative launched by first lady Michelle Obama, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity in America within a generation; putting children on a path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. Learn more about Let’s Move! and access invaluable program resources on the official Let’s Move! website.