Students Nationwide Get a Taste of Success in the Classroom as Well as at the Dinner Table, Thanks to KFC

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Students nationwide recently learned that weekly dinners with their families could set the table for success in school as well as at home.

This past February, KFC Moms Matter! Advisory Board unveiled http://www.bringbackdinner.com/, an online resource designed by moms for moms to help families connect more often at the dinner table. The "KFC Good Grade Challenge" encouraged families to eat dinner together more often on a weekly basis, with the challenge that, if they regularly enjoyed meals together, their child's grades would improve. In addition, KFC launched the "Bring Back Dinner Contest," a contest where parents were invited to submit their child's success stories for the chance to win a cash price of $2,500 to help support their child's future education.

Gathering around the dinner table can benefit more than kids' stomachs; research shows it can put them on the road to being better students. According to a recent study conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, children who eat dinner with their families five or more times a week are more likely to have higher grades in school -- regardless of gender, family structure, or family socioeconomic level(1).

"We are extremely proud that KFC's Good Grade Challenge had such a positive effect on kids across the nation," said James O'Reilly, chief marketing officer for KFC. "We hope families will continue to gather together around the dinner table, and KFC looks forward to being a part of those meal experiences."

Paying it Forward

KFC offered academic awards to families that satisfied their hunger for success in school. Parents were invited to submit their child's success stories in the "Bring Back Dinner Contest" for a chance to win a cash prize of $2,500 to help support their child's future education. Entries were graded on how compelling the essay was, its originality and creativity, and the impact that eating dinner as a family had on the child's academic performance.

Valerie Kraus, of Fountain Valley, Calif. and Elizabeth Abraham of Garland, Texas each decided to take KFC up on their challenge. Valerie, an eighth grader, had a "B" in Science before she saw KFC's offer and asked her family to begin eating dinner together more regularly. Not only did her family enjoy eating KFC together, they began quizzing her for tests and she finished the year with an "A." Elizabeth wrote on behalf of her daughter Jessica who just finished the fourth grade. They made a commitment to not only eat dinner together more often, but to also re-incorporate KFC into their family meals. Elizabeth attributes her daughter's recent school success to increased family time and the great varieties that KFC provides for her family on a regular basis.

Setting the Table for Success

In addition to the "Bring Back Dinner Contest," the "KFC Good Grade Challenge" encouraged Americans to add another family dinner to their household's weekly calendar for 10 weeks with the promise that, if their child's grades improve, KFC would pick up the cost of their child's KFC dinners over that 10 weeks.

Kyle Sterrett, of Salinas, Calif. and Alex Wood, of Fort Washington, Pa. each put KFC's research to the test, learning first-hand that eating weekly dinners together served not only to increase quality time as a family, but to improve their grades as well. In 10 weeks, Sterrett and Wood each saw their grades improve in numerous classes, and KFC gave them an "A for effort" and awarded each $50 in KFC gift checks.

Bring Back Dinner.com

Created with moms in mind, Bringbackdinner.com provides moms with ideas, tips and tools to help families connect around the dinner table. Recently refreshed with new interactive content, the site helps mom make family dinner a reality.

A new personality quiz helps mom determine if her kids are picky eaters and provides meal solutions to accommodate their eating habits. Printable, family-friendly word games help spur dinnertime conversations and an upcoming photo album tool will help mom keep her family and friends updated on her family's latest photos. And since there are never enough hours in the day, coming soon, mom can use various time management and meal planning resources, like the interactive calendar and family chore grid. There are also articles with time saving tips, and a refreshed meal planning tool focused around typical family activities like soccer games, birthday parties and picnics, that will be available shortly.

For more information, please visit http://www.bringbackdinner.com/ About KFC

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe(R), Extra Crispy(TM), and Colonel's Crispy Strips(R) with home-style sides, Honey BBQ Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches. There are more than 14,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries and territories around the world, serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky.

About CASA

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University is the creator of Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.(TM) Family Day is a national initiative, celebrated the fourth Monday of September each year (Sept. 24, 2007), that promotes the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners as a simple, yet effective, way to prevent kids from smoking, drinking or using drugs. For more information please visit http://www.casafamilyday.org.

(1) The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia

University - The Importance of Family Dinners III