Selling teachers, parents on Breakfast in the Classroom

When it comes to instituting a Breakfast in the Classroom program, getting foodservice staff on board is only half of the equation. You also need buy-in from the faculty, parents—and even students.

Tamara Yarmon, nutrition services director at Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska; Gary Petill, director of food and nutrition services at San Diego Unified School District; and Bertrand Weber, director of culinary & nutrition services at Minneapolis Public Schools in Minnesota, share the ways that they’ve promoted their programs.

Make the principal your ally

To foster interest in Minneapolis’ program, Weber devised a strategy to speak with principals at his schools with the greatest free and reduced-lunch rates. Armed with statistics about how breakfast consumption correlates to better school performance, he tried to convince principals on the benefits. Weber offered different program variations, such as a traditional serving line option or a grab-and-go food cart, to help principals determine which option suited their students. This information also allowed a principal to act as a point person if a school’s custodians or teachers raised concerns about introducing the program. “We try to hit the principal and really make him understand that this is an opportunity for everyone to work together to benefit those kids,” Weber says.

Let teachers and janitors talk it up with peers

To expand the extent of Breakfast in the Classroom in Omaha, Yarmon brings district teachers, custodians and principals who are on the fence to schools that have already implemented the program. Seeing how peers have adjusted can allay the skeptics concerns. For example, they hear fellow teachers speak of how they can ease students into their day by using the in-classroom breakfast time to discuss the day’s assignments. “They’re the ones selling it, not me,”  Yarmon says.

Have a presence at ‘Back to School’ night

Getting involved in ‘Back to School’ events is an opportunity to raise awareness about Breakfast in the Classroom among parents, some of whom may have questions about the program. Petill makes sure that each school’s designated foodservice “site leader” attends events to explain the program, hand out informational materials and provide food samples for parents and students to try.

Let kids own promoting the program 

To increase student participation, Weber gave students a sense of ownership in their school’s program. He connected school principals with a local marketing agency to promote participation. The marketing team collaborated with students, asking them, “What would you do to promote Breakfast in the Classroom?” and “What’s important for kids to know about Breakfast in the Classroom?” The result at one school: A breakfast zombie mascot, based on the idea that you can’t fully function without breakfast. “We just internally felt that the best way to market is when it’s done by the kids marketing to themselves,” he says.