Schools will be encouraged and recognized for increasing breakfast participation while incorporating sustainable changes that incorporate more nutritious and local foods. Whether a friendly competition with buildings within your school district or with your neighboring school district, as school administrators, we encourage you to not only accept the Challenge, but to lead Challenge at your school.
School Breakfast Promotion Digital Toolkit
Letter from PDE Secretary Mumin - Governor's School Breakfast Challenge (PDF)
Challenge Criteria
Note: Residential Childcare Institutions are encouraged to participate in the Challenge but will not be eligible for recognition related to increases in breakfast participation.
| January | February | March | By April 26, 2024 | Late Summer/early 2024-25 School Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Use Breakfast Toolkit to promote breakfast to families and students (parent flyer, social media messages, etc.). | Use Breakfast Toolkit to promote breakfast to families and students (parent flyer, social media messages, etc.). | Use Breakfast Toolkit to promote breakfast to families and students (parent flyer, social media messages, etc.). | Submit attestation that criteria were met for each month, includes a testimonial statement from at least one student or parent on the value of free breakfast, lesson(s) learned or best practice related to increasing participation while meeting Breakfast Challenge criteria, and recipe for most popular breakfast item (must be compliant with nutrient standards and creditable). | Breakfast Challenge participants are recognized, with special recognition for schools with the greatest success in participation |
| Provide at least one breakfast promotion activity. See examples at: No Kid Hungry List of Breakfast Promotion Strategies | Provide at least one breakfast promotion. See examples at: No Kid Hungry List of Breakfast Promotion Strategies | Provide at least one breakfast promotion activity. See examples at: No Kid Hungry List of Breakfast Promotion Strategies | ||
| Formulate a plan with school administration to implement an alternative serving method.* Not applicable if the building already offers an alternative breakfast serving method. | Prepare to implement the alternative serving method* plan identified in January. Not applicable if the building already offers an alternative breakfast serving method. | Implement or pilot alternative serving method* according to plan identified in January. Must be in place by the end of March. Not applicable if the building already offers an alternative breakfast serving method. | ||
| Serve at least one local food (milk excluded) a week at breakfast. Local is PA Agriculture (grown or raised-must be minimally processed per USDA definition**). PA Harvest of Month can be incorporated. paharvestofthemonth.org | Serve at least one local food (milk excluded) a week at breakfast. Local is PA Agriculture (grown or raised-must be minimally processed per USDA definition**). PA Harvest of Month can be incorporated. paharvestofthemonth.org | Serve at least two local foods (milk excluded) a week at breakfast. Local is PA Agriculture (grown or raised-must be minimally processed per USDA definition**). PA Harvest of Month can be incorporated. paharvestofthemonth.org | ||
| Offer a hot breakfast (main item/entrée) choice a minimum of two times/week | Offer a hot breakfast (main item/entrée) choice a minimum of two times/week | Offer a hot breakfast (main item/entrée) choice a minimum of three times/week | ||
| Offer high sugar items at breakfast no more than three times a week. High sugar items include: toaster pastries, sweet rolls, fruit turnovers, cereal bars, breakfast bars, granola bars, doughnuts, funnel cakes, coffee cakes, and cereals with more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. | Offer high sugar items at breakfast no more than three times a week. High sugar items include: toaster pastries, sweet rolls, fruit turnovers, cereal bars, breakfast bars, granola bars, doughnuts, funnel cakes, coffee cakes, and cereals with more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. | Offer high sugar items at breakfast no more than two times a week. High sugar items include: toaster pastries, sweet rolls, fruit turnovers, cereal bars, breakfast bars, granola bars, doughnuts, funnel cakes, coffee cakes, and cereals with more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce. | ||
| Upload one new picture of a healthy student breakfast to the LEA's/SFA's social media or website platform(s). Can include students if parental consent was obtained. | Upload one new picture of a healthy student breakfast to the LEA's/SFA's social media or website platform(s). Can include students if parental consent was obtained. | Upload one new picture of a healthy student breakfast to the LEA's/SFA's social media or website platform(s). Can include students if parental consent was obtained. | ||
| All buildings that participate in the National School Lunch Program under the administration of the School Food Authority (SFA) must also be participating in the School Breakfast Program by the end of the month or are approved in PEARS to begin in April. |
* An alternative breakfast serving method is any service method where the meal is made more accessible to the students and the students are not limited to obtaining and eating the meal in the cafeteria. Examples include but are not limited to; breakfast in the classroom, grab and go breakfast (this can be served from the cafeteria or other locations in the school), second chance breakfast, etc.
** The USDA defines minimally processed foods as those that have not undergone significant processing or alteration and retain their inherent nutritional and physical properties. Examples of minimally processed foods include but are not limited to milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt; fruits and vegetables (including 100% juices, fresh, frozen, or canned); grain products such as pastas and rice; meats (whole, pieces, or food items such as ground meats); and meat alternates such as beans or legumes.