Penrose Elementary wins award, money over breakfasts

More kids at Julie Penrose Elementary School in Colorado Springs School District 11 are eating better breakfasts.

Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, Hunger Free Colorado, Colorado No Kid Hungry Campaign and others announced winners Tuesday in the Colorado School Breakfast Challenge Phase II.

The school won the Silver Award and $3,000 for increasing their school breakfast participation by 71 percent. The district’s Nutrition Services department also won  $1,000.

All four winners of the contest were serving school breakfast in a cafeteria before class and switched to a Breakfast in the Classroom model, which allows students to eat breakfast at their desks as part of instructional time. The concept reduces stigma, enhances early morning instruction time and ensures that kids who get to school right when class starts get breakfast, a news release said.