Maryland is among six states selected to receive grants to support school breakfast programs.

The Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (OSCNP) has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the No Kid Hungry School Breakfast Leadership Institute to expand access to school breakfast.

The School Breakfast Program ensures that students receive the nutrition they need to learn and succeed in school. Research has shown that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to perform better on standardized tests, attend class more frequently, and have fewer behavioral issues.

In 2018-2019, 98.6 percent of Maryland schools that served lunch also served breakfast, ranking Maryland in the top ten states for offering school breakfast throughout the country. In addition, 62.1 percent of students who qualify for free and reduced-priced meals participated in the breakfast program. The grant will assist the State to build upon strategies that promote students’ access to school breakfast, as well as reduce childhood hunger.

For more information, visit the Maryland State Department of Education website:
Press release on grant award

For more information on Maryland’s Breakfast Leadership Institute Grant, please contact Samantha Bader at the MSDE’s Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs at 410-767-0513 or samantha.bader@maryland.gov.