Salt Lake City — The Policy Project is holding a rally in the Utah State Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, November 20th at 11:30 a.m. to galvanize community support for their current initiative, The Focused Student Project—a two-pronged effort to help Utah students focus and thrive at school by limiting phone use in classrooms and combatting student hunger.
The effort will support two legislative bills being proposed in the 2025 session. The bill to limit smartphone use will be sponsored by Senator Lincoln Fillmore and Representative Douglas Welton. The bill to increase access to food for students will be sponsored by Representative Tyler Clancy and Senator Kirk Cullimore.
The issue of phone use in school has become paramount. Smartphones have become a growing distraction in Utah schools, disrupting classroom environments, decreasing academic performance, and contributing to bullying and social isolation. Alarmingly, 97% of students use their phones during school hours, with teens receiving an average of 237 notifications per school day.
Student hunger has improved over time with access to free and reduced school meals,but more interventions are needed. One in six children in Utah is hungry—a crisis that not only impairs academic performance but also contributes to mental and physical health conditions, delayed development, high school dropout rates, and long-term economic disadvantages. A hungry student cannot learn, and the combined effects of digital distractions and hunger are creating significant barriers to student success.
“We have a responsibility to pass policies that ensure our students are no longer hungry for food, learning, and connection,” said Emily Bell McCormick, Founder and President of The Policy Project. “The Focused Student Project is about more than solving immediate challenges; it’s about creating lasting change. When we prioritize students’ well-being, we empower them to succeed in the classroom—and beyond.”
The rally will be a positive and impactful event, bringing together hundreds of community members, partner organizations, students, and families to write letters to their legislators and listen to brief remarks from bill sponsors and local leaders. Attendees are encouraged to wear red, the color of The Focused Student Project, as a display of their support.
“The Focused Student Project is a call for collective action to reset the norm around smartphones in schools and eradicate student hunger,” Kristin Andrus, Community Champion for The Policy Project said. “As a community, our presence at the rally speaks volumes—it shows our legislators that we want to maximize the investment Utah makes in education, the state’s largest expenditure.”
The rally falls on the last Interim Day before Utah’s 2025 Legislative Session, providing an ideal platform for the community to show the Legislature just how important The Focused Student Project is. All are welcome to come and show their support. Register for free here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/thepolicyproject/event/fsp-rally/
About The Policy Project
The Policy Project is a 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan organization that promotes policy solutions that remove barriers to opportunity for women, children, and those experiencing intergenerational poverty. Our unique approach fosters support for these policies through impassioned grassroots movements, fueled by public-private partnerships, education, events, rallies and extensive relationship building. Because many barriers can and should be eliminated, we have the responsibility and desire to work for healthy, equitable policy for the future of our collective children, our nation, and our world. www.thepolicyproject.org
The Policy Project’s past initiatives include “The Utah Period Project,” “The Teen Center Project,” and “The Safe Child Project.” The Utah Period Project aims to end period poverty and increase access to period products. Key achievements include passing a law mandating free period products in all K-12 schools in Utah, making Utah the first U.S. state to provide free period products in state-owned buildings, and launching the global “Period Positive Workplace” initiative. The Teen Center Project aims to support schools in helping the most vulnerable students graduate and prepare for successful adulthood. Significant milestones include working with the Utah Legislature and State Board of Education to enhance services in over 70 Utah high schools and securing $18 million in funding for essential resources such as food pantries, laundry facilities, and mental health support in schools. The goal of The Safe Child Project is to prevent child sexual abuse. In the 2024 Utah legislative session, The Policy Project garnered unanimous support for Senate Bill 205, expanding funding and resources for child sexual abuse prevention education for K-6 students in Utah.
