2024 legislative priority: Advocating for more time to eat in Colorado public schools
December 14, 2023
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger is getting ready for the 2024 state legislative session – and we’re teaming up with Nourish Colorado to ensure students have enough time to eat during the school day. Research shows its positive impacts on student learning, development, and overall well-being.
Representative Jenny Willford (D-Adams County) plans to introduce a bill in early January to create a task force focused on looking at best practices for time to eat in school settings. They would review policies from other states that offer lunch periods as instructional time, analyze the benefits and barriers faced by Colorado school districts that have already increased their lunchtime, and make recommendations for how Colorado may consider these challenges and opportunities in future policy efforts. This legislation will not mandate anything for Colorado public schools.
The Blueprint and Nourish are co-leading advocacy efforts for the forthcoming state bill. We’re currently working with Rep. Willford to gather input from interested stakeholders, and she wants to hear from you about a Time to Eat task force in Colorado. Share your thoughts on this Google Jamboard hosted by Rep. Willford!
If you or your organization want to learn more and engage around this legislative effort, please contact Greta Allen of the Blueprint or Becca Gredone of Nourish Colorado.