SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — It’s not rocket science: students need proper fuel to achieve top honors in school. Educators have been saying all along that academic success starts at the beginning of the day with a nutritious breakfast. Yet up to a third of adolescents still skip out on breakfast daily.[1] To deter this growing trend, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of GOT MILK?, has partnered with 14 school districts across the Golden State to increase daily breakfast consumption with milk at school cafeterias. The campuses with the greatest breakfast participation with milk in each district will win $3,000 towards student activities for a grand total of $42,000 statewide. In addition, through a photo contest, one California teen will win $1,000 and will be featured on a GOT MILK? billboard by showing why breakfast with milk is important for health and academic success.

“It’s important that we all encourage students, especially teens in California, to make breakfast a top priority during their busy mornings,” says State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “Having a balanced breakfast puts students ahead of the class because the most important meal of the day improves memory, concentration and test scores, while also helping keep absences at bay.”

The 14 participating high school districts in the 2012 GOT MILK? Breakfast Challenge include:

• Northern California: Sacramento City Unified, Stockton Unified, Modesto City Schools, Lodi Unified, Elk Grove Unified and Mount Diablo Unified
• Central California: Fresno Unified, Central Unified and Clovis Unified
• Southern California: Palm Springs Unified, Sweetwater Union High School District, Escondido Union School District, Riverside Unified and Santa Ana Unified

During a three-week period at the beginning of this school year, the campuses in each participating district with the greatest increase in breakfast participation in school compared to the same time period last school year will each win $3,000.

“The GOT MILK? Breakfast Challenge continues to grow year after year because educators support our message: a nutritious breakfast with milk makes a difference not only in the classroom but also in young people’s eating habits,” says Steve James, executive director of the CMPB.

Besides the high school breakfast competition, California teens ages 13 to 18 can also participate in the GOT MILK? Breakfast Billboard Photo Contest for an opportunity to win $1,000 and be featured on a GOT MILK? billboard in their hometown. Now through Oct. 12, 2012, teens may submit a photo illustrating why breakfast with milk is important for their health and academic performance. They may download an entry/release form, available at www.gotmilk.com/news, and submit it with their photo entry via the following:

About the CMPB
The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

[1] “Healthy Living: The Case for Eating Breakfast” http://www.healthychildren.org/

SOURCE California Milk Processor Board