Illinois School Breakfast Week (Feb. 23-27)

Rise & Shine Illinois is a partnership of Share Our Strength, a national child hunger-relief organization and several Illinois hunger-relief organizations. The campaign was developed in response to a recommendation of the Illinois Commission to End Hunger, a statewide body created by legislation in 2010 and appointed by the Governor. School breakfast is a key program in addressing child hunger.

Did you know?

More than 21 percent of children in Illinois—1 in 5 children—is food insecure, meaning they’re unsure of when or where they will receive their next meal.

73 percent of teachers say they teach students who regularly come to school hungry because there isn’t enough food at home.

449,092 low-income Illinois children participated in the National School Lunch Program in 2012-2013 but did not participate in the National School Breakfast Program.

The goal of Rise & Shine Illinois is to increase utilization of the National School Breakfast Program by using proven models. The National School Breakfast Program is a federal program that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free breakfasts to children each school day. It is administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and at the state level by the Illinois State Board of Education. School administrators, teachers and parents play key roles in determining whether breakfast is available and accessible in schools. School breakfasts are reimbursed by the federal government.