Farm to School Members work with organization staff to build, maintain, and expand school gardens, managing a start-to-finish growing season. F2S Members plan and teach hands-on lessons to pre-k through middle school students that are integrated into the school day, as well as afterschool programs and summer camps. Depending on the site, programs also include farm field trips, guest chef visits, cooking classes, youth farmers markets, a youth farmer apprenticeship program, and summer camps. Members also supervise volunteers, coordinate with food service directors, build bridges with community partners, post to social media accounts, and participate in ongoing professional development. Members gain exposure to organic agriculture, curriculum development, program planning, volunteer management, and more.
Service Activities
Member Duties
• Build, maintain, and expand school gardens, managing a start-to-finish growing season.
• Design and deliver hands-on lessons on nutrition, gardens, food sources, environmental science, cooking, and sustainability with students grades K-12, in classroom, afterschool, and summer camp settings.
• Introduce fresh local foods through tastings, chef-in-classroom programs, and other in-class activities.
• Cafeteria reform, connecting farmers to schools, and bringing education into cafeterias through tastings
• Community outreach/engagement, such as expanding volunteer involvement in the school gardens, organize events, develop promotional strategies and materials for print and social media, coordinate and lead community workdays.
Community Need Addressed
The Mountain Roots Healthy Futures Program builds community food security by creating synergies among education initiatives, nutrition and food access programs, public health and human services, and agricultural/conservation programs in the central Rocky Mountains and southwestern Colorado. Community-driven initiatives in the Healthy Futures Program include Farm to School, Sustainable Agriculture & Community Gardens, Hunger Solutions (Food Security), and Public Health programs, working together to build and sustain healthy communities, healthy people, and a healthy environment.
Position Outcomes
Healthy Futures Farm to School Members serve at host sites in bringing nutrition and environmental education, school gardens, local procurement, and community outreach to K-12 schools in those communities. Farm to School Members work with organization staff to build, maintain, and expand school gardens, managing a start-to-finish growing season.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
Education Benefits
College Degree
First Aid / CPR
Skills you will gain
First Aid /CPR Certification, public speaking, coalition building, event coordination, project management, communications, leadership, meeting facilitation, time management, sustainable agriculture, nutrition curriculum, and classroom management.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Drive decision making, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization