Summary
OTC's free breakfast program, Eagle Breakfast, served even more students in its second year. Participants achieved better grades and persisted in their classes at a higher rate than students who did not participate in Eagle Breakfast.
During the just completed school year, Ozarks Technical Community College’s Eagle Breakfast program served over 800 more students than it did in the previous year. Program participants continued to achieve better grades and persist in their courses during the 22-23 school year. Eagle Breakfast is a no-cost meal for any OTC student at all college locations.
“The investment the college makes in Eagle Breakfast pays off in the success of our students,” said Dr. Joan Barrett, OTC vice chancellor for student affairs. “Whether a student is food insecure or just too busy to eat before they rush out the door for an early class, Eagle Breakfast benefits everyone.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the college offered Eagle Breakfast as a pilot program at the Springfield campus throughout the spring 2021 semester. Eagle Breakfast was so successful and popular that the college expanded the program to all locations in the fall of 2021.
During the 2022-2023 school year, 3,948 students took advantage of Eagle Breakfast, which was 802 more students than the previous year. Those students consumed over 43,000 meals — nearly 9,000 more than the 2021-22 school year.
Additionally, students who received Eagle Breakfast meals were more successful in the classroom than those who did not. For the 2022-2023 school year:
- 90% of Eagle Breakfast participants completed their classes compared to 83% of other OTC students.
- 82% of Eagle Breakfast participants achieved a C or better in all their courses compared to 74% of other OTC students.
OTC has served Eagle Breakfast at all its locations for two years, providing 77,990 breakfasts to 6,444 students. Any student with an OTC identification is eligible to receive Eagle Breakfast items.
Eagle Breakfast is an example of the college’s OTC Cares efforts, which strive to meet students’ needs in and out of the classroom.
