Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe joined the American Dairy Association North East, Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Avant, cheerleaders, and mascot SWOOP to name the Commonwealth’s Governor’s Breakfast Champions during an event at Lincoln Financial Field. The Breakfast Champions represent the top 10 schools with the greatest participation in the second annual Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge.
“Every child deserves to start the day ready to learn, and breakfast is a critical part of that
routine,” said Acting Secretary Rowe. “The Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge shows
that when schools innovate, whether with grab-and-go carts or breakfast in the classroom, we can remove barriers to learning and give students the healthy start to the day they need to succeed.”
The Challenge is a three-month program to recognize schools for implementing sustainable
changes that incorporate more nutritious and local foods in their meal offerings, including
prioritizing low-sugar and locally sourced options.
The Challenge also recognizes schools that make breakfast accessible to students, such as
Wallenpaupack South Elementary School’s grab-and-go cart program that visits classrooms
every morning to make sure each student can choose a healthy start to their day. At Colonial Elementary School, breakfast participation increased when the building’s principal began making daily announcements to promote school breakfast.
This year, 59 schools successfully completed the Challenge – each boosting their breakfast
participation by 8 to 17 percent compared to the previous year. The top 10 2025 Governor’s Breakfast Champions recognized today were:
• Bethlehem-Center Elementary School, Bethlehem-Center School District, Washington
County
• Colonial Elementary School, Colonial School District, Montgomery County
• Minersville Jr./Sr. High School, Minersville Area School District, Schuylkill County
• Walton Farm Elementary School, North Penn School District, Montgomery County
• North Wales Elementary School, North Penn School District, Montgomery County
• Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, Allegheny County
• Wallenpaupack Area High School, Wallenpaupack Area School District, Pike County
• Wallenpaupack North Intermediate School, Wallenpaupack School District, Pike County
• Wallenpaupack North Primary School, Wallenpaupack School District, Pike County
• Wallenpaupack Area South Elementary School, Wallenpaupack School District, Wayne
County
While the top 10 schools with the greatest increase in participation were recognized at the
event, all schools that successfully completed the challenge will receive a banner to hang in
their school, a certificate, and a breakfast recipe book including recipes submitted by schools that completed the Challenge.
