The Colorado departments of agriculture and education invite every school in the state to participate in their annual healthy eating initiative on Oct. 3.
Colorado Proud School Meal Day will celebrate the state’s agriculture and teach children about how they can live healthier lifestyles by considering the foods they consume. Each classroom can participate in its own way, and any school employee is welcome to sign up, be it an administrator, a cafeteria worker, a teacher or anybody in between, according to Colorado Proud, a program established by the Department of Agriculture that is leading School Meal Day.
Previous participants have invited local farmers to speak with classrooms or producers to create meals with students.
“In order to encourage eating habits that will promote a lifetime of optimal health, it is essential to teach children about the importance of eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Each year on Colorado Proud School Meal Day, more than 100,000 students statewide learn about agriculture in classrooms and eat locally-grown and -made meals,” a Colorado Proud news release reads.
Interested schools can visit ag.colorado.gov/school-meal-day for classroom materials, activity ideas, educational tools and more. Those wanting to participate but who would like more guidance can also reach out to Colorado Proud contacts listed on the website to brainstorm fun ways to get involved.
State leaders, including the commissioners of agriculture and education, could potentially visit participating classrooms.
“Colorado farmers and ranchers produce food items that provide the nutrients children and adults need to thrive. Agriculture contributes $47 billion to the state economy annually and provides more than 195,000 jobs. With more than 38,900 farms and ranches encompassing 32 million acres, it is easy to understand the value this industry adds to Colorado,” the news release states.
To sign up, complete a brief Google form, which can also be accessed at the School Meal Day webpage.
