1. American Dairy Association Mideast
Sharon Maynard, RD, LD
American Dairy Association Mideast
Hello FUTP60 Ambassadors! As you may know my name is Ms. Diamond, I from the state of Ohio. And for the next half hour we are all going to talk about …. School Breakfast.

2. When do you eat your first meal?
Hunger…1 in 7 people are hungry and 15.3 million of these hungry people are under 18
When do you eat your first meal?

3. Why is breakfast important for every student: Your Brain on Exercise
A student’s brain sitting quietly for 20 minutes
A student’s brain after 20 minutes of exercise
So after you all accomplished eating breakfast everyday, what is another key to academic success?
(Prompt students for an answer) Yes EXERCISE, PLAYING, being active for 60 minutes a day….MOVEMENT.
A similar phenomenon with brain occurs for those students who are physically active. Here is a composite of 20 students’ brains taking the same test after sitting quietly for 20 minutes, and then again after taking a 20 minute walk. The lower image of the brain also lights up and is more active and ready to learn. Many studies, like the ones we just discuss, have prove time and time again that both nutrition and physical activity improve students attention, memory and academic performance. Both nutrition and physical activity controls our emotions, lights our logical thinking and empowers us to make wiser decisions. Simply by being well nourished, putting in plenty of physical activity into our day improves our cognitive ability, that is our ability to process, understand and make decision on the information we are receiving.
This FUTP60 leaders is the learning connection. Nutrition, Physical Activity are essential to learning.
Side reference from Dr. Charles Hillman of Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urabana –Champaign.
More information be retrieved from
Student Ambassador Summit

4. Your Brain on Breakfast
Hungry Child
The Mid-Brain
Is focused on food
After Eating
The Front Brain
Is in working mode
Grouchy
Restless
Anxious
Calm
Organized
Thoughtful
Alert
We all know what it feels like to be really hungry. When the brain needs glucose (nutrients) the whole focus of the brain’s attention is on getting it food. In a hungry child, paying attention in class to learning is really hard. The brains that are hungry on top of this slide have active middle-brains, notice all the blue – the emotional, irrational, impulsive mid-brain is taking over during hunger. These hungry brained students are typically grouchy, restless and anxious and not very fun to be around and not very good learners.
But after eating, the mid-brain is quiet as seen in the lower panels. The front brain lights up, indicating that it has taken control and is working and ready to learn. These brains are of the students and friends that we all want in the classroom. These well fed brains are calm, organized, thoughtful, alert and everyone wants to hang around these brains on Breakfast!
Now, I am going to ask you all a question. You will need to be entirely honest. The reason we need you to be honest is because we’ll need creative ideas from both groups to help with the mission you will be challenged to accomplish this school year. Before I ask the question, who can tell me how many days in a year? (Pull answer from the audience 364/365). Okay, keep this number in mind when answering the question and remember to be honest when you answer it. You will not be judge for either answer you give, because we need the creative ideas from both groups. Ok, here’s the question. As a show of hands who here ….

5. What is the “Learning Connection?
The learning connection is the proof - the ideas - the studies - the scientific evidence - the observations – that healthier students learn better. In other words, there is a direct link to academic success and students’ wellness. There are two actions in particular we have/and will be talking about all week that makes everyone healthier…they are…??? YES, Eating nutritious foods and exercising. Fueling up with the right foods and being active 60 minutes per day.
These learning connection terms and concepts (healthier students learn better, healthy equates to nutritious food and exercise) are not new to any of you. What may be new to many of you, however, is that YOU, all of YOU, have in the power to learn better yourselves and to help others learn better for themselves. So what do I mean by that? Let’s get deep into a discussion about YOU. What can you do everyday to learn better, make better decisions and improve your mind? What is the first thing you can do HINT HINT every morning to improve you attentiveness, concentration, test scores, and cognition, or rather your ability to understand and process knowledge?
(Prompt students for answers)
EAT NUTRITION FOODS, TO START EAT BREAKFAST EVERYDAY!!!