Lower tardiness. Higher attendance. Improved academic performance. Better test scores.Improved health and well-being. For the 28 percent of Arizona children who live in food-insecure homes, these results are possible. Results like these come from Breakfast in the Classroom.

Also known as Breakfast After the Bell or Second Chance Breakfast, SLHI is partnering with Valley of the Sun United Way to help food-insecure children get healthy food in the morning, fueling them for health and success throughout the day. Breakfast in the Classroom is an innovation beyond serving free/reduced breakfast in the school cafeteria. By serving food after the bell, a number of barriers are removed – things like lack of time to eat, a late bus, or social stigma. Breakfast in the Classroom scores a much higher participation rate among eligible students as a result. That success translates to improvements across the board, including attendance, behavior, academic achievement and health.

A pilot project in one school has already been expanded to three others. For the coming year, efforts will focus on expansion to nearly a dozen communities and add take-home “Weekend Packs.” The work puts Arizona on the map, as one of 17 other states to adopt Breakfast in the Classroom practices. Click here to learn more and watch a short video.