Food & Land Access Intern
Assist with community engagement programming and promote food access opportunities.
Overview
Assist with community engagement programming and promote food access opportunities.
You have:
- Background in nutrition, public health, health promotion, social work, or environmental and sustainability studies with gardening or farming experience preferred, or a desire to learn.
- Motivated, creative, flexible, and able to work independently.
- Strong organization and communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Valid driver’s license, active insurance policy and access to reliable transportation.
- Ability to work outside in variable weather conditions and lift 30 pounds.
New Roots brings refugees together to share their agricultural skills and connect with their new home and community by placing families in community garden and farm sites across Salt Lake Valley. In addition to creating the opportunity to produce supplementary food, community gardens and farms can also act as access points for health, nutrition, and other educational services. The Food & Land Access Intern will work across New Roots garden and farm sites to assist with community engagement programming and promote food access opportunities.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Infrasture and land maintenance: - Assist New Roots SLC team in maintaining garden and farm sites including: cultivation, weed and invasive species mitigation, infrastructure projects, and irrigation systems. - Support with garden visits to maintain functional sites and positive partner organization relationships. - Assist in gardener and farmer communications, trainings, and meetings. - Assist in gardener End of Year surveys and cloting/food drive. - Markets and Food Access: - Assist in set up, customer support and coordination of Sunnyvale Farmers Market (occasional Saturdays). - Other duties as assigned.
COMMITMENT:
- Length of Service: 3-4 months. - Compensation: This is an unpaid internship. - Hours: 10-15 hours per week, flexible schedule including some evenings and Saturdays. - Supervisor: New Roots Youth Agriculture Specialist.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- By the end of the internship the Intern will demonstrate knowledge about the benefits of community gardening, farming, and related programming for refugee and New American populations. - By the end of the internship the Intern will demonstrate an ability to communicate with limited English speakers and people from different cultures. - By the end of the internship the Intern will show an increased knowledge of best gardening and farming practices including irrigation systems, planting and plant health, and soil preparation. - By the end of the internship the Intern will demonstrate knowledge of New Roots and how best to promote the program to potential new clients. - By the end of the internship the Intern will demonstrate knowledge of community food systems in Salt Lake City.
Qualifications REQUIREMENTS:
- Background in nutrition, public health, health promotion, social work, or environmental and sustainability studies with gardening or farming experience preferred, or a desire to learn. - Motivated, creative, flexible, and able to work independently. - Strong organization and communication skills and ability to work as part of a team. - Excellent interpersonal skills, comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds. - Valid driver’s license, active insurance policy and access to reliable transportation. - Ability to work outside in variable weather conditions and lift 30 pounds.
Potential interview questions
| Describe a situation where you had to communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. How did you handle it? | This question assesses your communication skills and comfort level in diverse environments. | Share a specific experience that highlights your ability to adapt your communication style. |
| How would you approach maintaining a community garden? | The interviewer wants to understand your practical skills and knowledge related to gardening and farming. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you explain why community gardening is important for refugee populations? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies would you use to engage community members who are reluctant to participate in food access programs? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe your experience with teamwork in a project setting. How did you contribute? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What motivates you to work in a community-focused position? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you prioritize tasks when faced with multiple responsibilities? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Have you ever worked on a project that required you to learn a new skill? How did you approach it? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |