Our Impact

The Importance of the School Breakfast Program

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for students but for a variety of reasons, many families can't provide their kids with a healthy breakfast every morning. Of the nearly 20 million low-income students in the U.S. who ate free or reduced-price lunch in 2010, only 9.4 million participated in the School Breakfast Program.

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign is taking proven steps to close the school breakfast gap through working with elected officials, government agencies, corporations, schools leaders and community organizations to raise awareness about the School Breakfast Program and increase participation through innovative school breakfast models which help increase participation.

  • Courtney Smith, our No Kid Hungry Program Director, talks about the importance of school breakfast. | Play Video

  • Flo Conway, Teacher, at Elmwood Elementary highlights the positive impact on students' behavior because of the school breakfast program. | Play Video

  • A discussion of our No Kid Hungry strategy surrounding school breakfast from Courtney Smith. | Play Video


  • Rosemary King Johnston, Executive Director, Governor's Office for Children (MD), talks about kids wanting to come to class because of the school breakfast program. | Play Video

Do You Know Child Hunger?

As kids across the country head back to school, did you know that many teachers across America are regularly purchasing food for hungry kids in their classroom -- with their own money!

What else do you know about childhood hunger? Take a minute to find out with our Back to School quiz.

Back to School Quiz


What Can I Do to Help?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report with eye-opening details about hunger in America. While childhood hunger has long been an invisible problem to many Americans, it is getting harder to ignore. We need you to send a letter to your local newspaper's editor to encourage others in your community to learn more about childhood hunger and speak out. We've made it easy by providing a sample letter and can even make sure your letter gets to your local paper if you enter your zip code.

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