» Breakfast for Learning

Breakfast for Learning at BEYS

Breakfast 4 Learning - Jade and AlyciaBreakfast 4 Learning pic - breakfast cornerimg_1219.JPGFood and Nutritional Content

  • The Breakfast Program will always include 3 of the 4 food groups
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Cereal (typically Cherrios or Shreddies)
  • 2% white milk
  • yogourt
  • The plan is to keep the program as simple and cost efficient as possible to ensure program sustainability

Facilities and Personnel Required to Prepare and Serve

Ecole Beausejour Early Years Schoool:

  • The Beausejour Early Years School is used for food preparation, serving and clean-up
  • Student volunteers are used in all phases of the program in partnership with Network 4 Change Outreach Worker
  • 1 student volunteer and 1 N4C staff prepare and serve the breakfast every morning (1 hour)
  • 2 student volunteers and 1 N4C staff lunch monitor daily to raise funds to pay for program food (1 ½ hours)
  • Classroom helpers from the Early Years School clean up the dishes from the classrooms and stack them for clean up
  • 1 N4C staff who delivers food and supplies weekly

Gillis School:

  • 1 volunteer teacher coordinator
  • 4 volunteer students who set up and clean up the breakfast daily
  • 1 N4C staff who delivers the food and supplies on a weekly basis

Hazelridge School:

  • 1 volunteer principal/teacher coordinator
  • student volunteers set up and clean up breakfast daily
  • 1 N4C staff delivers the food and supplies weekly

    Evaluation

    There were some pre-program surveys conducted within the school to determine the number of “hungry” children in classrooms.

    Information was dispersed to parents, teachers and community prior to program start date
    Through food consumption and mid/end school year surveys the program will be evaluated

    Breakfast for Learning

    boy-with-apple-on-head.jpgWhy is Breakfast SO Important?

    • Children who haven’t eaten breakfast have difficulty concentrating in school.
    • Hungry children are often distracted, lethargic and often cause disruptions in class.
    • Research has shown that Breakfast Programs actually improve student attendance.

    Benefits of a Breakfast Program

    • The first benefit is providing children with a good start to the day – a nutritious meal.
    • Other goals, such as offering nutritional education and providing a positive social experience, are also important reasons why communities initiate Breakfast Programs.
    • Sometimes the more intangible goals are considered the most important ones.

    Children Are NOT Eating Before Coming to School

    • There are a number of reasons why children participate in nutritional programs, and it is clear that poverty is only one of several factors.
    • An alarming 31% of elementary and 62% of secondary children do not start their day with a nutritious breakfast and come to school hungry.

    Why Aren’t They Eating?

    • Children take the bus and the early departure does not allow them time to eat.
    • Parents work long hours and have a long commute leaving the children alone to prepare their own breakfast.
    • Mornings are just too busy to include a meal routine within a time line.
    • Homework had to done instead.
    • Family finances are tight

    The Recommended Model According to Breakfast for Learning

    • Most Breakfast Programs operate locally through the efforts of community volunteers.
    • Collaborative programs between schools and communities seem to work the best.

    What We Considered

    • Financial Resources.
      The food and nutritional content.
    • Facilities and personnel required to prepare and serve the food.
    • Explore how parents, teachers and students view the program and to evaluate whether it has met its goals of improving food intake, behaviour, academic performance, nutritional knowledge or quality of life.

    Breakfast for Learning Fundraising & Financial Resources

    breakfast for learning

    Network 4 Change will seek and secure funding through a variety of methods

    • Fundraising campaign “Loonies for Learning”
    • Fundraising Events: Family Fun Day, Shades of the Past BBQ
    • Business Sector solicitation for sponsorship
    • Service clubs and church donations
    • Grant proposals

    Beausejour Early Years School:

    • Healthy Schools Funding
    • Contest Winnings

    Parent Contribution

    • Student Pyjama and Hat Days

    Staff and volunteers of Network 4 Change worked hard and diligently to raise the money needed for the Breakfast for Learning program to be launched for September 2008. We piloted the project in partnership with the Beausejour Early Years School. Daily breakfast (including 3 of the 4 major food groups) became available universally to all children who attend BEYS at a cost of $0.25/day per child.

    Donations are always accepted (Network 4 Change; Breakfast for Learning). Donations of $10.00 or more are elligible for a charitable tax reciept upon request.

    Creative Partnerships For Funding

    • Students from the Alternative Learning Program (high school students) or Road 2 Success clients along with a Network 4 Change Outreach Worker lunch monitor daily at the Early Years School
    • The ALP students are volunteering their time as part of the Student Initiated Credit; Community Service (110hours), Co-Op Ed, or Work Exposure Placement
    • Network 4 Change Invoices the Early Years school for the lunch monitor time (4 lunch monitors @ $11.30/hour/monitor)
    • The funds paid to Network 4 Change for these lunch monitors is put back into the Breakfast Program