School Beat: Got Breakfast? Grab n Go Triples Participation at Balboa High SchoolDana Woldowbyline‚ Feb. 08‚ 2007San Francisco’s Balboa High School is in the second year of a pilot Grab n Go breakfast program which has succeeded in increasing participation in school breakfast among a population which is notoriously averse to starting the day with a healthy meal – teenagers. The convenience of Grab n Go makes it a winner with kids. As originally implemented, students could arrive in the cafeteria as late as five minutes before the 8:20 start time for school, grab the pre-bagged breakfast, and head off to class. Breakfast can be eaten during the first ten minutes of class time. The traditional sit-down breakfast program requires students to arrive 20-30 minutes early. But now students don’t even need to swing by the cafeteria to pick up their meal. A second serving point has been set up in the school lobby, so that students can grab their breakfast as they come in the front door and go right to class. Students use their student ID as a “swipe card” (much like an ATM card) to denote their eligibility for free or reduced price meals; those who do not qualify for reimbursable meals can pay cash or, when fully operational, the point of sale (POS) swipe card system will automatically deduct the money from an online account. For now, the breakfast is being offered free to all students. |