For over a decade, the Alliance has partnered with the Arkansas Governor’s office and key child health and education advocates to proclaim March as School Breakfast Month and challenge school districts to increase school breakfast participation. According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), school breakfast leads to reduced food insecurity, improved student health, and better attendance and behavior in the classroom. “It’s important to encourage school nutrition teams who are working hard to provide the most nutritious foods in creative ways,” said Vivian Nicholson, Breakfast Program Director for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. “It’s no secret that school breakfast equals success and we want to recognize schools that go the extra mile,” said Nicholson.

This year, we encouraged school districts to participate in the Challenge in one or more of these award categories: Largest Increase in breakfast participation, most innovative School Breakfast Month promotion, and start or restart Breakfast After the Bell. Participating schools were eligible to win dollars for their child nutrition programs.

Winners of the 2024 School Breakfast Month Challenge are:

Largest Increase in Breakfast Participation (comparing March 2023 to March 2024):

First Prize: North Little Rock School District

Second Prize: Monticello School District

Third Prize: Paris School District

Most Innovative School Breakfast Month Promotion:  Lonoke School District

Start or Restart Breakfast After the Bell: Sheridan School District

We appreciate our partners at the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Child Nutrition Unit and the Arkansas School Nutrition Association for their support.