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OGDEN — The Ogden School District has opened a new facility to serve the community in various ways.
The Child Nutrition Program building, located at 1950 Monroe Blvd. — at the district's administrative campus — will allow the district to buy and store more dry and frozen goods while eliminating the district's reliance on off-site food storage.
The facility will provide a central location for all child nutrition staff members to receive training in a commercial-grade kitchen space. It will also give students in the Ogden School District an opportunity to get the experience necessary to work in local businesses.
The facility will also further expand the district's programming for special needs students.
"Cooking has been an integral part of our programming for students with disabilities in Ogden," Karen Harrop, special education program director for the district, said in a statement. "This has been an effective and motivating way for students to develop a plethora of beneficial lifelong skills. Cooking has been used to implement a wide variety of skills, such as literacy, math, communication, motor, nutrition, problem-solving and social skills. It has increased independence in daily living skills and paved the path to job opportunities and educational opportunities in post-high school education programs in the culinary field."
Additionally, the new facility will serve as the permanent home of the MarketStar Student Resource Center — launched in 2021 — which functions as a central hub for Ogden students and families to receive things like food, clothing, cleaning and hygiene products and school supplies.
The district said the operations "quickly outgrew" the capacity at the original location. Officials hope the new location can help the district better serve Ogden families in need.
"Research shows that students whose basic needs are not being met are less likely to succeed in the classroom and are at greater risk of dropping out of school. The resources we are able to provide through the MarketStar Student Resource Center help fill the gaps in food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene supplies and other household items for any student and their family in the district," Brynn Murdock, executive director of the Ogden School Foundation, said in a statement. "As a foundation, we are so proud of the opportunities this resource center gives our students, along with our new support centers, to help meet our students where they are, so they can find success in their educational journey and in life."
