Jump start your morning with a healthy school breakfast!
The Jump Start Breakfast program started in 2018 to help increase student participation in school breakfast. As part of the program, the Hawaii State Department of Education’s School Food Services Branch teamed up with First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs and other community partners to increase access to school breakfast and inspire students to eat healthy.
All Hawaii public schools offer breakfast before the school day starts. This is commonly known as traditional breakfast. Schools may also choose to implement other breakfast models, including Grab and Go, Second Chance Breakfast (Wiki Breakfast), Breakfast Club and Breakfast in the Classroom.
See below for the latest updates on the Jump Start Breakfast program.
Enter the Jump Start Breakfast Recipe Challenge*
*postponed until further notice
Calling all Hawaii CTE culinary students!
Do you have what it takes to develop a new grab-and-go breakfast for the Hawaii State Department of Education? Create and submit an original recipe for a healthy, grab-and-go baked breakfast item, and your team could win $1,000 in cash!
The Jump Start Breakfast team is looking for healthy breakfast recipes created by students for students. The winning baked breakfast goodie could become part of the Jump Start Breakfast menu, and served to students statewide.
NEW! Click here to read this year’s rules and guidelines. (Friendly note: Contest rules and requirements have slightly changed from last year’s inaugural recipe competition. Please read the PDF carefully.)
How to Enter:
- Form a team of students from your school.
- Develop your recipe. Each school can submit ONE recipe for judging.
- Finalists will be selected to attend an in-person judging competition, which will be held on Friday, May 8, on Oahu. (Travel scholarships are available for neighbor island finalists.)
Prizes:
- 1st Place: $1,000 cash
- 2nd Place: $500 cash
- Honorable Mention: $250 cash
Important Dates:
- Submit recipe by: April 13, 2020
- Finalists selected by: April 22, 2020
- Final, in-person judging: May 8, 2020
Questions:
- Contest guidelines: Daniela Kittinger (Hawaii Appleseed) – daniela@hiappleseed.org
- Technical assistance with product development: Chef Tiffanie Masutani (La Tour Café) – tiffaniem@latourcafe.com
School Spotlight: Lahaina Intermediate
Lahaina Intermediate School started its Grab-and-Go breakfast kiosk in the fall semester of 2018, after Cafeteria Manager Steve Dumlao heard how Hawaii ranked almost last in the nation in school breakfast participation. “We wanted to figure out a way to encourage students to eat school breakfast,” he said. “So, we started to talk to our students about what they like to eat.”
Dumlao also paid attention to where the students would hang out on campus. “We set up a kiosk near the library,” he said. “It was a great location that was easily accessible to the students who took the school bus as well. They can choose a hot or cold breakfast, select their fruits and milk, and pay for their meal by scanning their school ID. Teachers and staff can also stop by the kiosk to purchase their breakfast.”
Once students arrive on campus, they head straight to the kiosk, which is open from 7:10 to 7:45 a.m. Students who want to eat in the cafeteria (and those who forget to bring their school IDs) can still receive breakfast in the cafeteria from 7 to 7:40 a.m.
“We are very grateful to have such an innovative cafeteria team who truly cares about our students and meeting their needs,” said Principal Stacy Bookland. “By increasing access to breakfast, our students can grab breakfast and eat just about anywhere on campus because they are great kids who are responsible for their rubbish. It’s a convenient and cool thing to do so they can focus on learning. We know they are getting the nutrition they need to be successful.”
Seeking Nominations for Hawaii’s Breakfast Champion Awards*
*postponed until further notice
Nominations are currently open for the Hawaii Breakfast Champion Awards. The deadline to nominate a school or an individual is Friday, April 17, 2020.
To make a nomination, click here.
Here are the two categories:
- Breakfast Champion (Individual): This category honors a student, teacher, principal, cafeteria manager or an individual who has gone above and beyond to change the way breakfast is served at his/her school.
- Most Innovative (School): There are many ways schools can serve breakfast, and sometimes it takes a little out-of-the-box thinking to find the model that works best. This category honors a school that has pioneered new territory when it comes to serving school breakfast.
In addition to the two nomination categories, there will be a selected award for Most Improved (School). This category will be awarded based on the school who has the greatest percentage increase in breakfast since the 2018-2019 school year. Participation numbers from March 2019 will be compared to those from March 2020 to determine the winner.
All winners will be honored at the Jump Start Breakfast Summit on Friday, May 8, 2020.
If you have any questions, please contact Daniela Kittinger, of Hawaii Appleseed, at daniela@hiappleseed.org.
Every Keiki Needs a (Healthy) Breakfast
The following op-ed article on school breakfast appeared in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on March 4, 2020.
Encouraging Hawaii Students to Participate in School Breakfast
March is officially School Breakfast Month in Hawaii!
Governor David Ige, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Hawaii Appleseed, along with School Food Services Branch (SFSB), kicked off the month-long celebration with a proclamation ceremony at Palolo Elementary School on Monday, March 2.
March 2 was also Dr. Seuss’s birthday and National Read Across America Day. Participating schools statewide prepared a special “Green Eggs and Ham” fried rice breakfast to celebrate the children’s author.
On Wednesday, March 4, Honowai Elementary held a special school assembly to celebrate its Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) pilot program. Gov. Ige and Mrs. Amano-Ige spent their morning eating in the classroom with students in kindergarten and first grade.
Several of Hawaii’s state representatives and senators attended these events to help encourage students to eat school breakfast.
Additionally, National School Breakfast Week was celebrated across the nation from March 2 to 6, as part of the federal School Breakfast Program.
Governor’s Proclamation
WHEREAS, the School Breakfast Program, established in 1975, is dedicated to the health and well-being of our nation’s children; and
WHEREAS, research shows that eating a healthy breakfast leads to better concentration, attendance and behavior, and improved health and social dynamics; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is dedicated to expanding access to and enhancing current school breakfast programs throughout the state to ensure that our children are provided with the means to succeed; and
March is School Breakfast Month!
School Breakfast Month is here, so stop by the school cafeteria just around the corner.
Eat it, eat it, and be a better learner!
Hawaii’s Governor, First Lady, Hawaii Appleseed and School Food Services Branch kicked off March with a proclamation. Schools will serve weekly breakfast specials during the month-long celebration!
Green eggs and ham will honor Dr. Seuss for his birthday. Participating schools are offering sweet potato bowls, and implementing Jump Start Breakfast models the ‘Aina Pono way!
Try them, try them, and you may! Encourage your students to eat a healthy breakfast each and every day!
They will learn better when their tummies are full. Each and every legislator will be encouraged to eat breakfast at a nearby school.
For more information, dial (808) 784-5500. We’re all counting on you to help us be a breakfast superhero!
Gearing Up for School Breakfast Month
Prior to kicking off Hawaii’s School Breakfast Month, Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto and Mrs. Amano-Ige appeared on KHON 2 News and Hawaii News Now on Friday, Feb. 28. They discussed the Jump Start Breakfast program and shared how important it is for students to eat a healthy meal in the morning. Children who have breakfast can concentrate better in the classroom, have less behavioral challenges and excel on their exams.
Feb. 28 was also a special day for Hawaii’s legislators. As a preview to Hawaii’s School Breakfast Month, Hawaii Appleseed teamed up with several volunteers to help pass out school breakfast samples to each legislator. School Food Services Branch helped to cater the event with kalo breakfast bowls that were prepared by Kaimuki High School and purchased by Hawaii Appleseed.
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