Hiring: FoodCorps/AmeriCorps Position – Springfield Public Schools

Hiring: FoodCorps/AmeriCorps Position with Springfield Public Schools

FoodCorps is a nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders that connects kids to food and builds healthy school food environments. We do that by placing motivated leaders in limited-resource communities for 11 months of public service. Serving under the direction of local partner organizations, our service members focus on three areas of service:

• Hands-on learning: students grow, cook, and taste new foods, which builds their skills and changes food preferences
• Healthy school meals: the cafeteria experience steers students towards the healthiest options and gets them excited to try new healthy foods
• Schoolwide culture of health: as a whole, the school community and environment – from hallways to classrooms to cafeteria to grounds – celebrates healthy food. We measure our success in terms of changes in children, schools, and systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO You’ll teach hands-on lessons to elementary school students and help make healthy food part of the whole school curriculum. Here from Springfield service members this past year about what service was like during COVID:  https://www.facebook.com/106055391370604/videos/1120761841737902

WHERE YOU’LL SERVE You’ll serve with Springfield Public Schools and the Home Grown Springfield Culinary and Nutrition Program. In Springfield, you’ll be part of a FoodCorps team, working together to improve school food, get more students out to the school gardens, and improve the school (and district!) culture of health. Springfield is host to a team of FoodCorps members that work in several schools across the city. As a service member, you will be the healthy food champion in your assigned school(s) but also work as part of a team on district-wide initiatives like Harvest of the Month and will have support from fellow FoodCorps members in Springfield, as well as from several district staff. Check out how Home Grown Springfield is working to make more culturally relevant school meals for students by watching this Tasty Tour: Taste of Latin Flavor!

BENEFITS Not only will you receive a stipend and educational benefits, but you’ll also make a direct impact in schools, gain professional skills, and become part of a network of changemakers.

• $26,000 living stipend for Service Members in CA, D.C. Metro Area, MA, and NY: paid bi-weekly
• $6,345 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award, upon successful completion of your first (or second) term of service: for future schooling or repay qualified student loans.
• Student loan forbearance
• Health insurance: Basic health, vision and dental coverage.
• Partial childcare reimbursements

What We’re Looking For

• Passion for building a healthier future for school children
• Commitment to working hard in service of local communities in order to make a difference
• Demonstrated leadership ability
• Motivation to serve full-time in a limited resource community
• Perseverance in the face of challenges and creativity in finding solutions
• Respect for diversity of opinion, experience, and background
• Experience working in or studying food systems, agriculture, public health, education, school nutrition, culinary arts, community organizing, or public service
• Experience working or volunteering in education, youth development, or other teaching setting
• Knowledge of the culture, history, and/or language of the communities we serve
• Desire to gain hands-on experience for your career
• Demonstrated ability or dedication to performing the activities listed below

To be considered for a FoodCorps service member position, you must:

• Be 18 years or older by the start of your service term
• Be a legal, permanent resident of the United States
• Hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent

To learn more and apply visit: https://foodcorps.org/apply/