St. Vrain Valley Schools’ Nutrition Services Department received national recognition as the recipient of NxtGen Network’s Inaugural Innovation Award in the K12 Operator category. St. Vrain Valley Schools was selected among seven top national school district nominees. This recognition celebrates the outstanding achievements of St. Vrain’s Nutrition Services team in advancing farm-to-school programming through transformative partnerships, student-led projects, and sustainable practices.
“Receiving this award is a testament to St. Vrain’s innovative mindset and unwavering commitment to modeling excellence on a national level,” said Katie Cossette, Director of Nutrition Services for St. Vrain Valley Schools. “By connecting students to the source of their food and fostering excitement for nutritious meals, these initiatives have transformed our approach to nutrition in St. Vrain while providing valuable educational opportunities for our students.”
Through multiple inter building and departmental collaborations, students continue to build their awareness and excitement about St. Vrain’s school meal program and food system. Some of these initiatives include a FarmBox hydroponic storage container farm and student-led leafy greens foodservice business, hyper-local salad bars featuring produce from local farming partners, and a Prostart Culinary Program where students work in their high school cafeterias to learn school food service skills.
The NxtGen Network’s Inaugural Innovation Awards recognize educational institutions and individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, forward-thinking, and progress in the field of K12 education.