City Harvest’s Healthy Neighborhood program targets low-income communities with disproportionately higher rates of hunger, obesity, diabetes and other diet-related diseases by distributing free and low-cost produce, providing nutrition education, and integrating subsidized and market-based access to affordable, nutritious food for area residents.

As part of City Harvest’s Healthy Neighborhoods Program City Harvest is seeking four (4) interns to pilot a school-based initiative to help support individual school’s administrators, families and to a) get the maximum benefit from programs offered through SchoolFood and b) act as liaison between an individual school and resources available outside of the school system, including additional programming and possible grants.   The focused neighborhoods are:
• South Bronx
• Central Bronx
• Central Brooklyn
• North Shore of Staten Island

Key Responsibilities

• Support with goal of increasing School Food meal program enrollment (if applicable):
   - Help schools collect school meal applications, troubleshoot around barriers
   - Communicate within school to parents teachers, principals, school nurse, Wellness Councils, and students to promote programs and school meals
• Provide resources for ongoing nutrition education:
   - Liaise between cafeteria staff, including the School Food Manager, and school staff to coordinate nutrition education outreach
   - Produce materials to post in cafeteria and other appropriate venues that highlight good food options and send positive nutrition messages
   - Give presentations to students in class (e.g., science or health class)
   - Provide nutrition coaching in cafeterias to encourage student consumption of healthful foods
   - Coordinate events such as taste testing, chef visits, competitions to engage kids in increasing healthful food choices
• Identify and assist with grant applications (e.g., Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program)
• Disseminate information through neighborhood meetings, at City Harvest nutrition education classes, and other venues to promote school food programs and school meals
• Connect schools to supportive programming on food access, nutrition, and healthy food choices by managing community based outreach within school community (e.g. visiting experts, local chefs, parents working in the food or health fields)
• Create interim and final report highlighting goals, strategies, tactics, and lessons learned from interventions.

Requirements

• Dietetic intern or graduate students in fields of public health, nutrition and related areas.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to broker relationships between multiple constituents
• Passion around improving the school food environment
• Self-starter who can take direction and offer concrete ideas and plans for meeting challenges
• The ability to work independently on projects while meeting deadlines
• Well organized with attention to detail a plus
• Comfortable working with diverse cultures
• Affinity, understanding and respect for multi-cultural communities; comfortable with the cultural diversity and ethnicity of communities to be served
• Willing to work in a public school environment

Additional Information:
• Project will run from July 2010 through June 2011
• This is a field based internship, candidates will be expected to have computer access
• Minimum of 20 hours per week
• Intern must be willing to travel to one of five boroughs on a consistent basis
• Applicants with previous school system participation in any of the four focused neighborhoods are strongly encouraged to apply
• A modest stipend will be available for this role

To apply, please submit your resume/CV and cover letter with to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Please include Community Partnerships School Internship in the subject line.  Qualified candidates will be contacted by phone and/or email. City Harvest conducts background checks for final candidates for this role.

City Harvest is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Minorities are encouraged to apply.