NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the "first" of the New Year, the 9/12 Generation Project and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign are teaming up to raise importance about the "first" meal of the day. Students in grades 6 – 12 are being asked to submit a slogan for a national campaign in 50 words or less on "Why all children deserve to be powered by breakfast." 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly 16 million children under the age of 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access nutritious food. Research conducted by consulting group Deloitte reports that students who eat school breakfasts attend more days of school, are more likely to graduate, and have been shown to achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized tests*. However, with 1 in 5 children still struggling with hunger and just over 50 percent of eligible children actually eating school breakfasts, childhood hunger remains a critical problem. 

"No Kid Hungry believes in the power of young people. This generation can create a nation where no kid in America is hungry. Our mission is to help create teen advocates who understand the crisis of childhood hunger and are dedicated to ending it," said Billy Shore, founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. "Ending hunger starts with making sure all kids have access to a healthy breakfast and asking young people to think about how nutrition impacts their daily lives."

Sponsored by the Sodexo Foundation, three $250 grants will be awarded to the best slogans or campaigns to students in the following age brackets: Grades 6 – 8, 9-10, 11 – 12. In addition, there will also be a $300 grant awarded to the overall Grand Prize Winner. Students can go to www.912generationproject.org to sign up. 

"The 9/12 Generation Project teaches students about 'paying it forward,'" says Mia Toschi, National Director of the 9/12 Generation Project. "We hope to activate and educate hundreds of thousands of children about childhood hunger and let them know they can make a difference." 

About No Kid Hungry: No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure all kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

About 9/12 Generation Project: The 9/12 Generation Project is the educational division of the New York Says Thank You Foundation and teaches middle and high school students about the following core values: Compassion, citizenship, kindness, diversity, empowering survivors, and volunteerism. Launched in September 2012, the 9/12 Generation Project is now teaching

500,000 students in more than 1,000 schools about the power of "paying it forward." What we do is all about 9/12. *No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast Report.

CONTACT: Mia Toschi, 1-203-524-2422, mvtmedia@live.com

SOURCE 9/12 Generation Project

Related Links

http://www.912generationproject.org