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National School Breakfast Week Is Here!
Join the Celebration

 

It’s Time to Celebrate School Breakfast in New York! 

National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) is here! Join Hunger Solutions New York as we celebrate school breakfast, its far-reaching benefits, and the school professionals working to ensure access in New York.

Thanks to historic state investments, #NSBW25 is an especially exciting time for school breakfast here in New York, as more schools than ever can offer free breakfast to all students through the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). New York currently leads the nation in the growth of districts and schools adopting CEP, with 99% of eligible schools operating the program as of last school year.

New York’s CEP expansion eliminates financial barriers for students to eat school breakfast and also signals a renewed opportunity for schools to diversify service options that further improve access. Without a designated period for breakfast, schools can still struggle to reach students, even when meals are free to all. Schools can maximize the benefits of free school breakfast for all by extending breakfast after the start of the school day. 

This National School Breakfast Week, we are highlighting the creative ways school breakfast programs are reaching students and how you can share the impact your program makes in your community!

 

Spread the Word About Your School Breakfast Program 

Kick off your breakfast week celebration with two key actions to spread the word in your school community and beyond:

  1. Amplify your school breakfast program using our updated NSBW social media toolkit with No Kid Hungry New York, which includes ready-to-go sample language and graphics.
  2. Join the conversation on social media: This week, we’ll be sharing daily posts highlighting how New York schools are reaching students with school breakfast. Connect with us on social—like, share and comment on why school breakfast is important to your school community.
  • Use and follow these hashtags: #NationalSchoolBreakfastWeek, #SchoolBreakfastNY, #NSBW25
  • Find Hunger Solutions New York on social media: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook 
 

Register Today! Sign Up for Our Latest School Breakfast Webinar—Tuesday, April 29, 10 a.m.

“Feed More Kids with Breakfast in the Classroom: Live Q&A with SED”. Learn strategies to feed more kids next school year by serving Breakfast in the Classroom. Join Hunger Solutions New York and No Kid Hungry New York for a live Q&A with tips for BIC service and strong program integrity, featuring the New York State Education Department (SED), Child Nutrition Program Administration.  

 

#SchoolBreakfastNY Spotlight: North Colonie CSD

Read more about innovative breakfast service in New York schools on our blog post featuring North Colonie CSD. Food Service Director Lisa Ostrowski shares how her district is maximizing access to free school breakfast for all students with a combination of “grab and go” and breakfast in the classroom. 

child having breakfast at desk children at table eating breakfast
 

School Breakfast Resource Round-Up

With a new school year around the corner, schools can plan ahead to strengthen and expand breakfast programming with these resources and strategies: 

  • Encourage students to eat school breakfast: Communicate the availability of school breakfast and generate excitement in your school community with customer service and marketing tips from NY Food Service Director Deb Mackey of Hoosic Valley CSD. 
  • Reach more students with Breakfast After the Bell: Identify which models fit best with your program to help students easily access breakfast during the school day. Start small: Consider piloting in one classroom or building.
  • Help school leaders understand their role: Cultivate buy-in from school leaders by illustrating how breakfast benefits students pre-k through graduation and ways school leaders can collaborate with you on expanding school breakfast access.
 

ICYMI: Catch Up On Recent School Breakfast Webinars

From the New York State Education Department (SED), Child Nutrition Program Administration: Promoting School Breakfast Week. Hunger Solutions New York presented alongside SED on best practices to promote the School Breakfast Program and celebrate National School Breakfast Week (March 3-7, 2025). This webinar is for school administrators and nutrition professionals.

From No Kid Hungry: Celebrating Students Through Equity: A Community Approach to School Breakfast. Centering community voices in school breakfast programs ensures they are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all students. This webinar outlined strategies to identify and address systemic barriers, recruit and retain employees, engage families and students in program design, and implement innovative solutions like alternative breakfast models.

 

We Are Here to Help!

While National School Breakfast Week comes once a year, New York’s kids need consistent access to a nutritious meal every day so they are ready to learn. Thank you for your efforts to ensure school breakfast for every kid, every day. We are here to support your work. 

Looking for individualized assistance at no cost? Contact Francesca DiGiorgio at Francesca.DiGiorgio@HungerSolutionsNY.org for strategies and resources to improve school breakfast access and participation.

 
 

Hunger Solutions New York
14 Computer Drive East | Albany, New York 12205
518-436-8757 | info@hungersolutionsny.org

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