Utah School Breakfast Week March 19-23, 2018
What: Utah School Breakfast Week March 19-23, 2018 press conference
When: Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at 7:40 am
Where: School Library of Backman Elementary, 601 N 1500 W, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
Who: Utahns Against Hunger is joining with other community partners to bring attention to the School Breakfast Program in Utah.
Speakers:
· Marti Woolford, Nutrition Initiatives Director, Utahns Against Hunger
· Lisa Nentl-Bloom, Executive Director, Utah Education Association
· Heather Newell, Principal, Backman Elementary School
Available for Interviews:
· Dr. Lori Spruance, Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University
· Kathleen Britton, Director, Utah State Board of Education Child Nutrition Programs
· Marti Woolford, Nutrition Initiatives Director, Utahns Against Hunger
Please join Utahns Against Hunger and members of the Utah Breakfast Expansion Team (UBET) in celebrating Utah School Breakfast Week! This year, for the first time, Governor Herbert signed a proclamation declaring March 19-23, 2018 Utah School Breakfast Week. The School Breakfast Program allows all students to start the school day fed and ready to learn. School breakfast is currently vastly underutilized in Utah, but schools are working hard implementing innovative programs which improve access to, and consequently, participation in school breakfast. During the press conference, UBET, with leadership from Utahns Against Hunger, will release Starting the Day Right II: Best Practices for Increasing School Breakfast Participation in Utah Schools. In addition to outlining best practices for increasing participation in the School Breakfast Program, this report shares three years of school breakfast participation data. In addition to the report, UBET will acknowledge three schools for their exemplary School Breakfast Programs.
Media Visuals: Prior to the press conference, the media will have the opportunity to observe and film the Breakfast in the Classroom program at Backman Elementary.
Utahns Against Hunger works to increase access to food through advocacy, outreach, and education.
Since 1981 Utahns Against Hunger has worked to expand the reach of nutrition programs to the estimated 1 in 6 households in Utah that struggle to afford enough food.
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Utah School Breakfast Week Press Conference
Agenda
7:40 am – Press arrive to film Backman Elementary School’s Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program
8:00 am – Main speaker arrives
8:05 am – Press conference begins
8:05 am – Opening remarks – Marti Woolford, Nutrition Initiatives Director, Utahns Against Hunger
8:10 am - Speaker-Lisa Nentl-Bloom, Executive Director, Utah Education Association
8:20 am – Speaker- Heather Newell, Principal, Backman Elementary School
8:30 am – Closing remarks & Utah School Breakfast Week award winners announced – Marti Woolford
8:40 am – Press conference ends
8:40-9:00 am – Press interviews
Utah School Breakfast Week Press Conference
Speaker Biographies
Marti Woolford, Nutrition Initiatives Director, Utahns Against Hunger
Marti Woolford joined Utahns Against Hunger in 2012. In her current role as the Nutrition Initiatives Director she works to increase access and participation in the School Breakfast Program and the Summer Nutrition Programs. In 2014, she formed the Utah Breakfast Expansion Team. In 2016, this team released the report, Starting the Day Right: Best Practices for Increasing School Breakfast Participation in Utah Schools. In addition to UBET, Marti sits on numerous working groups and coalitions that work to increase access to nutritious food to low-income people. She advocates at the state and federal level for improved access and participation in domestic anti-hunger programs and anti-poverty programs for low-income families and individuals.
Marti has a M.S. in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah and a B.S. in Behavioral Science and Health from the University of Utah. She is the recipient of the Catherine Caputo Hoskins Emerging Leader award (2016) and the Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (UAND) Award of Recognition (2017).
Lisa Nentl-Bloom, Executive Director, Utah Education Association
Lisa Nentl-Bloom has served as the Executive Director of the Utah Education Association since September 2014. Lisa joined the team at UEA because she was impressed with the UEA’s student-focused work and its mission of advocating for the success of public education in partnership with others.
Lisa has spent her entire career in the field of education. She began her career as an English teacher in both public and private schools in Minnesota. A third generation educator, she knew she wanted to be a teacher in fourth grade and never veered from that desire. In 1996, she began work at the Minnesota Education Association, later called Education Minnesota. In 2006, she moved to working for the National Education Association, working as a consultant to state affiliates across the nation.
Heather Newell
Heather Newell has been the Principal of Backman Elementary since 2014. She comes from a family of educators and began her career as a special education teacher. She is a product of the Salt Lake City School District and earned degrees at Utah State University and the University of Utah. She is passionate about working to better the community in which she lives. Heather is dedicated to helping students and families navigate the complicated education system while at the same time working for positive change to better meet the needs of students, particularly those who are traditionally underserved.
School Breakfast Program
Fact Sheet
The Importance of School Breakfast
· Participating in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is beneficial to all students, not just low-income students.
· According to the Centers for Disease Control, SBP has health benefits such as obesity prevention and increased consumption of fruits, milk, and vegetables.
· The Food Research & Action Center reports that children who eat breakfast at school — closer to the start of the school day and test-taking time — perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home. Correspondingly, when less time passes between breakfast consumption and class, students demonstrate improved academic achievement.
School Breakfast Landscape of Utah
· Utah currently ranks last in the nation for school breakfast participation.
· According to data from the 2016-2017 school year, only 39 low-income students participated in school breakfast for every 100 who participated in the National School Lunch Program. The goal set by the Food Research & Action Center is 70 low-income students for every 100 that participate in school lunch.
· In school year 2016-2017, 34.71% (221,956) of Utah students qualified for free and reduced-price school meals.
· As of school year 2016-2017, 64 schools in Utah have implemented alternative breakfast models.
· Participation in school breakfast has increased 10.7 percent since the release of the first breakfast report in 2016.
Marti Woolford, MS
Nutrition Initiatives Director
Utahns Against Hunger
801 328-2561 (office)
800 453-3663 (toll free)
