Farm Fresh Rhode Island seeks an outgoing and energetic Youth Culinary Education AmeriCorps VISTA with demonstrated initiative and clear organizational communication skills to build capacity for the Farm Fresh RI’s Harvest Kitchen program. Harvest Kitchen is a 20-week culinary and job-readiness training program for youth involved with the RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The youth create a line of high-quality preserved foods using ingredients sourced from local farms, while building a stable foundation to maintain employment beyond their time with Harvest Kitchen. This position offers a unique opportunity to support existing trainees through curriculum enhancement and evaluation, develop partnerships with local social service agencies, and assist Harvest Kitchen program staff in referring and supporting youth trainees to additional programs beyond Harvest Kitchen. This position requires a one-year commitment to begin in July, 2020. Application deadline is June 3, 2020.
Primary Responsibilities
- Refine existing Harvest Kitchen training curriculum to deepen activities around food security, farming, and community economic development.
- Refine existing trainee tracking and program performance measurement systems.
- Research current and past Harvest Kitchen internship partners to identify relationship status.
- Streamline Harvest Kitchen internship referral process.
- Cultivate relationships with new and existing internship sites.
- Seek opportunities for collaboration between Harvest Kitchen trainees and outside organization programs and services.
Skills Required
- Excellent professional communication skills (written and verbal)
- Great attention to detail
- Self starter and ability to maintain a self-motivating attitude
- Ability to collaborate and work as part of a team
- Excellent time-management skills
- Ability to think, react, iterate, and redirect in a fast-paced environment
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
- Ability to prioritize and handle a variety of assignments simultaneously in a vibrant work environment
- Spanish skills or other language skills are a plus
- Able to bend and lift loads up to 50 pounds
About Farm Fresh RI
Begun in 2004 as a student thesis project at Brown University, Farm Fresh RI has grown briskly to capture the public interest in locally grown food and translate it into sales for RI farmers and producers. Strongly mission-driven, Farm Fresh achieved 501c3 status in 2007, and has since implemented a variety of programs to enhance the local food system of the Rhode Island region, with particular attention to farm viability and low-income access to fresh food. Farm Fresh operates a wide range of marketplace programs (retail, wholesale, processing) that engage and connect tens of thousands of RI, MA and CT eaters with thousands of RI, MA and CT farmers.
Mission: Farm Fresh Rhode Island is growing a local food system that values the environment, health and quality of life of RI farmers and eaters.
Vision: A New England abundant with diverse family farms and fertile soils, with locally and honestly produced foods and flavors at the heart of every dinner table.
About AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation’s most pressing challenges and advance local solutions.
AmeriCorps VISTA Member Benefits:
- Bi-weekly living allowance of $479.08
- Student loan deferment
- Mileage reimbursement
- Professional development opportunities
- CNCS health benefit & childcare assistance
- $6,195 Segal Education Award upon completion of service to help pay for college, graduate school, or vocational training, or to repay student loans
To Apply
This is a full-year position starting in July 2020 and ending July 2021. The deadline to apply is 6/3/2020. Applications must be submitted through the AmeriCorps VISTA site, as described below. Farm Fresh Rhode Island and Hopes Harvest RI cannot accept applications directly.
- Please review the AmeriCorps VISTA information here: www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
- Then visit my.americorps.gov/mp/login.do and click Search Listings. For the search, select the “Rhode Island” and “AmeriCorps VISTA” options.
- On that page, scroll until you find this position. Click on it, and click “Apply Now.”
- Submit your application including two references.