Laura Smith

Boulder Valley 40 Under Forty

“Athletics have always been a huge part of my life,” said Laura Smith. “I grew up playing sports and eventually returned to school to study physical activity and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.”

That’s her focus as well as programs and grants coordinator for the School Food Project in the Boulder Valley School District. She runs lunchroom-education programs to introduce seasonal produce and locally procured foods, new menu items and healthy eating habits to students through Tasting Days, “Make a Rainbow at the Salad Bar” Days, Iron Chef competitions, a Harvest Festival and more. All meals served through the project are made from scratch and hormone and antibiotic free, and Smith works to make sure they’re also nutritious and delicious.

All that takes money, and Smith oversees most of the project’s grant-procurement and fundraising efforts, as well as promoting it in social media and through recruiting parent and community volunteers.

Her work has earned recognition from such organizations as the Colorado School of Public Health, Boulder County Public Health and Boulder Rotary Club.

Smith joined a Rotary chapter in 2011 “in an effort to bring young professionals into Rotary,” she said. As founding president of the Boulder New Generations Satellite Rotary Club, she helped implement an award-winning women’s empowerment project in Peru. She has volunteered on more than 30 projects, including the Rotary Mental Health Initiative, Community Food Share, Crayons to Calculators, Share-A-Gift, and a collaboration with a local nonprofit for a water and sanitation hygiene program in Kenya.

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