Revolutionizing School Food in Colorado

The State of School Food in Colorado

In 2023, Colorado implemented universal K-12 school meals, which ensured that all Colorado public school students would have access to free school meals regardless of their household income. 

In just six months after universal meals was implemented, student participation in school breakfast increased by 36% and in school lunch by 31%. This was a victory for student health and wellbeing.

Higher participation in school meals makes it even more important to have a robust and well-trained school food workforce. Otherwise, to keep up with the higher demand for meals, schools could be forced to rely on serving students highly processed heat-and-serve because it’s quicker and doesn’t require as much skill.

Our Healthy School Food Pathway program is a solution for school food workforce development in Colorado. By working with a state-based coalition of diverse stakeholders, our team was able to address multiple state priorities, leveraging the collective knowledge and experience of the coalition to create a program that will have staying power. We also gathered valuable insights about interest in and perspectives on school food careers through hosting focus groups and learner sessions for potential participants. 

This work will advance school food change in Colorado so that all kids can have access to fresh, healthy, scratch-cooked meals.

The Power of Participant Insight

The power of engaging stakeholders in shaping this program cannot be overstated. By giving potential participants, such as current school food workers and technical college students, a platform to voice their thoughts, ideas, and concerns, crucial insights for program development have emerged. 

These have included:

• Potential participants have a strong desire for experiential learning, suggesting visits to school kitchens during program onboarding to gain a real-world understanding of school food operations is important.
• Potential participants need comprehensive support services, such as transportation assistance and childcare during training hours to ensure the program is accessible to them.
• Mentorship is important to guiding career growth within the school food profession.
• Support is needed to help those unfamiliar with U.S. school food programs succeed in this field.
• Language support services were identified as essential for ensuring equitable access and success.

Designing Solutions 

With these insights, we’re developing a holistic, inclusive, and practical pathway into school food jobs to address Colorado’s evolving school food workforce’s real and changing professional and personal needs. This includes developing culturally and linguistically sensitive training materials, scheduling on-site school experiences, and building a more robust mentorship program. 

As this human-centered Pre-Apprenticeship program takes shape, it holds the potential to revolutionize not just how we train school food professionals, but how we approach school food as a whole. By listening to and designing for the people at the heart of the issue, we’re not just filling jobs – we’re cultivating a new generation of empowered, culturally aware, and skilled professionals who can drive positive change in school kitchens across the nation. 

This unique approach to workforce development in school nutrition could serve as a model for other sectors, demonstrating the power of human-centered design in creating effective, impactful programs that truly serve their communities.