Jorja Whyte, senior sociology and psychology double-major and Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) Director of Basic Needs (pictured far right), and Amber Obermaier, sociology Ph.D. student and leader of CSU’s Food Security Advisory Council (pictured center), planned and hosted the first-ever Colorado Higher Education Basic Needs Summit. Approximately 80 attendees from 13 universities and 7 organizations, including the Colorado Department of Higher Education, attended the event held at CSU SPUR. The day of collaborating, learning, and amplifying included drafting a statewide basic needs advocacy plan.
“Having access to (food) is a basic human right, and having access to a safe and affordable place to live should be a basic human right,” Amber told The Collegian. “But as we’ve seen, … there’s such a gap in securing those basic human rights for so much of the student population.” Learn more about the students’ efforts in The Collegian’s full article “Colorado Basic Needs Summit unites activists, advocates for student well-being.“