Project Bread: School Breakfast Grant Program

Project Bread's School Breakfast Grant Program aims to ensure that all students in Massachusetts have access to nutritious meals through innovative breakfast solutions. By starting or expanding programs like Breakfast After the Bell, schools can significantly increase breakfast participation. The program provides essential support and resources to help schools assess their needs and implement effective strategies for enhancing breakfast accessibility, ultimately fostering a healthier school community.

Start a school breakfast program
Starting a breakfast program enables students who may not otherwise have access to a nutritious meal in the morning to eat breakfast when they arrive at school. Breakfast After the Bell (BATB) programs are the best way to increase access to breakfast for all students. To make sure your program has the highest possible impact, there are many things to consider. It is important to assess your school(s) to determine which breakfast model will be the best fit. Busing schedules, cafeteria capacity and equipment, staffing, and logistics should all be considered. Project Bread's Child Nutrition team is here to help you work through every step of starting a school breakfast program.
Once you have decided on a model, you should analyze the financial viability of the program. Project Bread can help calculate various costs and determine the best options for your program and your bottom line.
Finally, introducing a successful school breakfast program requires support from the whole school community. Involving all stakeholders and promoting the program through all available channels helps to ease the process and increase awareness of the program.
Expand a school breakfast program
Expanding your breakfast program can increase participation and ensure that more students have access to a healthy school breakfast each morning. As with starting a new breakfast program, it is important to consider the range of logistical needs of your school community to determine which breakfast model, and what program changes may be the best fit. Project Bread's Child Nutrition team can provide technical assistance to any Massachusetts school district looking to improve or expand its breakfast program.
Expanding your program to include Breakfast After the Bell options is an effective way to increase participation. Serving breakfast in the classroom, offering “Grab & Go” kiosks or bags, or cycling students through the cafeteria in shifts throughout the morning for a “Second Chance” breakfast are all ways to help more students access breakfast. Piloting the program in one grade or one classroom can also help build confidence in expanding breakfast programs as you prepare to roll out a program across the school or district.
If choosing to serve breakfast outside of the cafeteria, work with cafeteria staff to develop a system for pre-packing, delivery, and point of service accountability. Make sure that breakfasts are easy to transport, eat, and clean up.