NOTE: See the full position description on our website!
Shortened Position Description
The mission of Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is to build a food-secure future through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming. We serve students, educators, and community members in underrepresented areas of New York City through hands-on STEM education, food justice training, and youth leadership development.
The goal of the Community Outreach & Engagement Civic Corps Member is to strengthen consistent participation in and connection to TFFJ’s hydroponic farm at the Far Rockaway Educational Campus. The member will conduct outreach to students, teachers, and school partners; support communication and coordination of farm-based programming; assist with the preparation and facilitation of educational workshops and activities; support student leadership opportunities; and help coordinate community-facing events, in collaboration with TFFJ staff and school partners.
The ideal candidate is a relationship builder and motivated, community-centered individual with an interest in education, urban agriculture, food systems, or youth development. Candidates must be excited to work directly with youth and be comfortable engaging with stakeholders from all walks of life. This is a 10-month role; candidates must be able to serve full-time from September 2026 to June 2027.
Objective 1: Settle in and learn about the organization, project, and role: Build understanding of TFFJ programs, site conditions, and current engagement practices – TFFJ will introduce the member to staff, programs, and school and community stakeholders relevant to their project goals and provide onboarding and guidance as the member begins their service.
Member Activities:
- Meet with TFFJ leadership and school partners to learn about the mission, vision, and operations of the hydroponic farm program
- Establish a regular meeting schedule with supervisor, including weekly one-on-one check-ins
- Review Position Description with supervisor to ensure clarity of responsibilities and make any adjustments
- Tour the Far Rockaway Educational Campus and hydroponic farm and meet key stakeholders including teachers, administrators, students, and community partners
- Review TFFJ program materials, outreach tools, and data systems to understand current programming and engagement strategies
- Observe farm-based classes, activities, and events to understand how programming is delivered and where staff support is required for consistency
- Onboarding may include school building clearance requirements for the Far Rockaway Educational Campus to ensure that Teens for Food Justice complies with Chancellor’s Regulation C-105 as it relates to its role as a non-contracted vendor for NYC Public Schools.
Objective 2: Outreach Plan and Materials: Develop outreach systems to expand participation in farm-based programming. Building on observations from Objective 1, the member will support the development of outreach approaches and materials that increase awareness of and participation in farm-based programming.
Member Activities:
- Identify patterns, challenges, and barriers to participation based on observations and staff and partner input
- Develop outreach materials (flyers, presentations, digital content) for students, teachers, and families
- Plan outreach activities that increase awareness of farm-based programming across the campus
- Support development of simple tools to track outreach activities and participation changes
- Prepare materials and plans for outreach events, informational sessions, and engagement activities
Objective 3: Conduct Outreach Campaign and Expand Sustainably: Implement outreach activities and assess consistency and sustainability of engagement approaches. The member will implement outreach activities and educational workshops designed to increase participation in, and ownership of, farm-based programming.
Member Activities:
- Conduct outreach activities within the school community, including tabling, classroom visits, and informational sessions
- Facilitate workshops and educational activities introducing hydroponics, food systems, and food justice concepts
- Coordinate and implement community-facing events connected to the hydroponic farm
- Support outreach and engagement efforts connected to on-campus food distribution activities
- Collect and track participation and feedback data from outreach activities and workshops
- Adapt outreach strategies and materials based on feedback and participation trends
Objective 4: Strengthen School and Community Capacity: The member will build the capacity of teachers, school staff, and students to take meaningful ownership over the hydroponic farm as an educational and community resource.
Member Activities:
- Develop and organize teacher-facing resources that support integration of the hydroponic farm into educational instruction
- Create accessible educational materials and resource guides for students and families about healthy eating, food access, and urban agriculture
- Coordinate training sessions for teachers, school staff, and students
- Organize and maintain shared resources that support ongoing school engagement with the hydroponic farm and its programs
- Document practices and tools that support consistent engagement during the service term
Objective 5: Project Closeout and ensuring sustainability: The member will develop recommendations for a sustainability and transition plan to ensure that outreach, engagement, and programming efforts can continue beyond the service term, with a focus on school-based ownership.
Member Activities:
- Meet regularly with supervisor in the final quarter of the service term to support development of a sustainability and transition plan
- Create a transition document outlining outreach processes, materials, tools, and key contacts, updating internal resources, such as TFFJ’s Airtable database, where appropriate
- Communicate with school and community partners to ensure relationship continuity
- Compile final data and impact summary reflecting outreach activities, workshop participation, and community engagement metrics over the service year
- With supervisor, identify effective outreach strategies and surface ongoing challenges to help inform future program planning
https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-internship/a062b11c3cf44fcba774eb715569950b-community-outreach-engagement-nyc-civic-corps-member-teens-for-food-justice-queens-county?utm_source=symplicity&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=listings-api
