The Recruitment Timeline

• First round interviews are taking place in April. You may hear from a state lead, or the FoodCorps staffer who leads the program in a certain state, when your application is under review in that state to schedule the first round interview. (You may have heard from them already!) 
• Second round interviews are taking place in May. If your first round interview indicates that you’re a good fit, the state lead will work with you to schedule the next round of the process.
• If you don’t hear from your first choice state or reach the second round interview in that state, don’t worry! Your application will be shared with your second and third choice states. If you didn’t indicate second and third states when you initially applied, that’s okay too! You can always add those later in the process.

Top Tips for Preparing for Interviews

1. Practice and prepare .

You’ll be asked a series of questions about the service member position, such as:

• Why do you want to serve with FoodCorps?
• What interests you about service?
• What ideas do you have for honoring the diversity of your students in lessons?

Spend some time looking at these example interview questions that are typically asked during both rounds of interviews, and think about how you’ll respond. There’s no need to memorize your responses! Feel free to jot down a few notes to help remind yourself when the interview time comes up. 

2. Test your tech.

FoodCorps staff are all over the country, and the reality of the pandemic means we’re working in an increasingly remote world. That means you might have an interview over Zoom. If that’s the case, take some time to ready your space before it’s time for your interview. Check your internet connection, make sure the camera and microphone are working, and find a comfortable and quiet place to talk. For the best lighting, it’s recommended to sit or stand so you’re facing a source of natural light, like a window.

3. Be yourself.

FoodCorps values our applicants’ diverse range of identities and experiences. It’s possible that the questions we ask won’t give us a complete picture of who you are. If that happens, feel free to share more about yourself during the interview process, even if it doesn’t quite fit into a question — we’re always open to hearing more about you. There’s a reason why you were driven to apply to serve with FoodCorps; don’t lose sight of that reason throughout the interview!

Apply today

The post After the Application: What to Expect in the Interview Process appeared first on FoodCorps.

Almost overnight, our AmeriCorps service members completely modified their routines to meet our shared new reality. Some pivoted from in-person food and nutrition lessons to Zoom and YouTube classes. Some supported their communities with emergency food distribution. All of them added stylish FoodCorps masks to their wardrobes. 

The end of the pandemic is within reach, but service may still look different for a while. And the traits that helped our service members persevere throughout the pandemic — like flexibility, creativity, and motivation — will still be important when COVID is long gone.

Ready to serve, regardless of what the future holds? Here are some of the qualities we’re looking for in a rock-star service member through COVID and beyond. 

• Adaptability. Service is full of surprises. Sometimes the farmer’s market doesn’t have the right herbs for your lesson. Other times, the kids in your class just aren’t listening to your cooking demo. What do you do next? FoodCorps service is all about being flexible and adaptable — to the needs of your students and to the particulars of the community where you’re serving. 
• Creativity. Do you see challenges as an opportunity to learn something new? Tell us about it! One great example of creativity during service is our members’ quick pivot to video lessons at the beginning of the pandemic. Though video skills weren’t expected of our corps members, many of them learned to record and edit fun, informative videos to keep their students engaged through remote learning. 
• Motivation. Our work is meant to get kids excited about growing, cooking, and eating healthy food. And our service members should be excited along with them! If you’re enthusiastic and passionate about connecting kids to nutritious food, you’ll thrive as a service member. Tell us about your passion in your application by sharing a personal experience or a moment in your life that connects you to our mission. 
• Compassion. Your students, school community members, and fellow service members bring all kinds of experiences with them to the classroom, garden, and cafeteria. It’s important to approach your role with compassion and care for everyone you’ll encounter during service. Tell us in your application — what motivates you to serve the community this way? And how will you center compassion in your work? 
• Commitment to equity. Our work is about ensuring that kids of all races, places, and classes have positive, nutritious experiences with school food. That takes a dedication to social justice, to undoing racism, and to dismantling the oppressions that have created an inequitable, unjust food system. How do you carry out these values in your life, and how will you bring them to your service? Let us know.
• Commitment to self-care. Social justice work can be draining — especially during a global pandemic — and you can’t show up for your students if you aren’t showing up for yourself. While resilience and perseverance are important, so is taking the time to care for yourself and your well-being. Consider how you’ll recharge your solar panels and take care of your needs if selected to serve. 

Sound like you? Apply to serve with FoodCorps today! 

The post What We’re Looking For in a Service Member appeared first on FoodCorps.

Your application is how we first get to know you, and the most important piece in deciding whether you’ll move forward into the interview process. It’s crucial that your application is complete, comprehensive, and creative — but most importantly, that it’s uniquely you! 

Ready to get started? Here are five tips on making your FoodCorps application shine. 

1. Get familiar with the application. 

Just like it helps to plan your route before a long drive, it’s a good idea to look through the application before you dive in. Preview the application on our website and take some time to think through how you can apply your past experiences to FoodCorps service. For some of the short answer questions, it may be helpful to talk through your thoughts with a friend or loved one to gain some insights before you begin writing down your answers. 

2. Know what we’re looking for. 

A great FoodCorps service member is passionate about health, education, and serving their community. If that’s you, tell us! Familiarize yourself with our mission, our vision, and our service member eligibility requirements. It’s also good to know the skills of our strongest candidates: experience working with kids; a background in farming, gardening, or education; and a commitment to equity and racial justice in food systems. If you don’t have direct experience here, that’s okay; be creative and tell us how your experiences at school, at work, or at home relate to FoodCorps. 

3. Be specific. 

Many of our applicants have some experience volunteering or working with kids. We want to hear the details! Use your application to share the projects you worked on, your knowledge of the community where you hope to serve, and what you learned along the way. FoodCorps values non-traditional experience, like clubs you’re a part of, taking care of younger family members, or summer camp. You can even tell us a story about a specific pivotal moment or experience that inspired you to pursue this path and brought you to FoodCorps. The more specific, the better! 

4. Get personal. 

Your application is where we get to know what you care about and why you’re called to service. But we can’t find out unless you tell us! Use your written answers to share why serving with FoodCorps is the right path for you right now. Is it your passion for racial justice? Your desire to help your community recover from COVID? Whatever your reason, we want to hear about it. Remember: the most compelling candidates are those with a deep connection to the work. 

5. Give it a final read. 

Have you answered all the required questions? Listed references who can speak to your strengths? Proofread your application once (or even twice)? Time to send in your application! Remember that service member spots are filled on a rolling basis, so it’s a good idea to send your application in early. Good luck! 

Questions about the process? Feel free to reach out to serve@foodcorps.org. 

Apply now!

The post 5 Tips to Make Your Application Shine appeared first on FoodCorps.

Why apply now? 

You have until March 13 to submit your application to be a FoodCorps service member! That may seem like plenty of time, but it’ll be here sooner than you think. If you’re ready to spend a year teaching kids about healthy food, there are many reasons to get that application in well before the deadline. But there’s only one reason that really makes a big difference, and it’s this:

By applying early, you’ll get a decision sooner.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, which means we’re starting to read through them and invite applicants to do phone interviews before the March 13 application deadline. The way this works is that all applications are reviewed at the national level and then sent to state teams for further review and interviews. Applicants are notified when they are moved forward for a phone or in-person interview by a state team, which can sometimes take a while, especially if your application gets moved to multiple states for consideration.

Apply Now

Getting your application in early means you’ll enter that process sooner, leaving less time to worry about finishing your application and more time to relax. Kick off the process, then kick up your feet. 

Not quite ready? Do these 4 things before applying: 

• Get familiar with the application timeline. 
• Watch our Facebook Q&A with some FoodCorps alums. 
• Learn how to make your application stand out. 
• Catch up on some recent stories from the field. 

Ready?  Set? Apply! We can’t wait to hear from you. 

The post The #1 Reason to Apply Now appeared first on FoodCorps.

Watch on Facebook

Meet the Panelists

Hannah Joseph

FoodCorps Alum

Hannah works as a Kitchen Teacher at Edible Schoolyard NYC, after serving with FoodCorps at this same organization.  She loves bringing people together around the table and believes in the power of sharing food and digging in the dirt to build relationships and spark people’s understanding of the world around them.

Nikki Miller

FoodCorps Alum

Nikki graduated from Syracuse University in 2015 with a BA in Psychology and a focus in Child Development. She entered the field of Education after school and served with FoodCorps at Harlem Grown in New York during the 2016-2017 service year. She is now currently working at her original service site, Harlem Grown, as the Farm Education Manager. She designs curriculum for and leads all educational and youth programming on our farm sites. 

Kane Martin

FoodCorps’ Recruitment Coordinator and FoodCorps Alum

Kane has always been drawn to the power food has in building relationships and community. After serving in his home state of Iowa, Kane set out west for Portland, Oregon. He continues to support the mission by helping to grow the FoodCorps family. When not at work, he can be found hiking, camping, and eating his way through the Pacific Northwest. 

MJ Santiago

FoodCorps’ Former Service Member Recruitment Manager and AmeriCorps Alum

Originally from a small town in central Florida, MJ has worked to increase access to critical resources for underserved communities across the nation. Prior to joining FoodCorps in 2016, MJ served a year in AmeriCorps with Reading Partners. When not at work, they can be found visiting museums and parks across New York and beyond.

The post Ask Us Anything! Alums Answer Your Application Questions appeared first on FoodCorps.

Serving as a FoodCorps AmeriCorps service member can help you discover new, meaningful career paths. Hear from three alumni about how their experiences with FoodCorps led them to exciting and meaningful career opportunities post-service.

Apply now

Apply to serve by March 13.

The post Video: A Year of Service, A Lifetime of Impact appeared first on FoodCorps.

7:30am : Let’s Morning Routine

Waking up before 8:00am isn’t the norm for me in my service…don’t worry, night owls – just because school starts now doesn’t mean you have to.

I jam to the Temptations as I brush my teeth and get ready for the day.

8:00am : Supermarket Snafus

I’m trying to teach my second graders about foods that help our bodies “Go!” aka healthy carbs. It’s now January, and I’ve never brought in something totally green for us to taste test. SO, I decided that this week we would make a gorgeously green pesto pasta. Yesterday, I called every supermarket in the county searching for fresh basil, and only one told me that they had it in stock. The recent snow is not helping.

Here’s the thing: I walk into produce section and realize that the fresh basil that is supposedly here is actually lightly dried basil. In other words, it won’t work for my pesto in T-2 hours.

8:15am : Think Quick!

Now I’m furiously googling potential ideas on my phone. I could stick to pasta, but I don’t want to muddle the content of the lesson on healthy carbs with vegetables or different sauces.

9:00am: I’m back in the car, and we PIVOT.

Cue the mild panic. I have no ingredients (indecision got the best of me), and I’m teaching in T-1 hour. As I drive the 20 minutes into Rocky Mount where my office at the Down East Partnership for Children is located (a great local nonprofit), I realize that I can take my class outside to learn about what happens to plants when it gets cold. It doesn’t usually snow this early in the year in North Carolina, and the students have had two snow days, so this could be especially relevant!

9:20am: Gathering the Materials to MAKE IT WORK!

In the office I gather magnifying glasses, soil thermometers, stickers, chart paper and markers. I set up some graphs and brainstorming activities for my students: “What Happens to Plants in the Cold?”

We’re going outside – post-snow – to explore. Frozen broccoli and collard plants can be so very interesting.

10:25 – Second Grade Lesson

WE LEARN! I learn that if you tell second graders to smell and feel the broccoli leaves, there’s like an 80% chance they’re also going to eat the leaves. They learn that the ground is 7 degrees cooler under the snow compared to a patch of playground where the sun has exposed the grass.

Bonus: one plastic magnifying glass broke, so I go ahead and deem this impromptu lesson a success!

11:50: Lunchtime

After I wrap up my lesson, I head back to the classroom with my 28 second graders and we get ready for lunch. I think this is the one day a week where everyone in class eats both a fruit and vegetable at lunch because they know Miss. Rhea has a few green bean boat races up her sleeve.

They have green beans with chicken tenders and I have the southwestern quinoa and spinach I meal-prepped for the week.

12:30: A Pop-Up Lesson!

After lunch I immediately head to the 1st grade hallway because I have a pop-up lesson today! This is my first time teaching in this first grade classroom: the teacher asked me to come in for an hour because her students are currently learning about the life cycle of plants! I bring in six different edible plant parts, and after a discussion on the 4 plant needs, and the 6 plant parts, the 1st graders get split into groups to figure out if broccoli is a flower and celery is a stem.

It goes really well – these kids are extra sweet because I’m new and taught them a song AND a dance.

1:45: Phew, we’re Headed Back to the Office

Baskerville Elementary is only one mile away from my office at DEPC, so I head back to get some work done. Today, that means lesson planning for next week and hopping on a call to talk about the importance of summer feeding.

DEPC is full of hugs from my coworkers (They have all become surrogate moms to me.) and laughs. (Everyone likes to laugh at – with – me.) Spending time here is relaxing and rewarding at the same time.

5:15 – It’s fun to stay at the YMCA

I organize my desk and head to the Y. Tonight there’s a great HIIT class, and I’ll need it because tomorrow morning I’m making energy balls with kindergarten, repeating the plant part lesson with another first grade class, and teaching my fourth graders about lunch tray ecology.

It’s fantastic.

Want to learn more about being a FoodCorps AmeriCorps service member?  Head over to our Apply page to get info on where you can serve , what else you’ll be doing, and how you can get involved.

The post A Day in the Life of a FoodCorps Service Member: Rocky Mount, NC appeared first on FoodCorps.

Every August, a new class of service members descends on Portland, Oregon for National Orientation, a week full of back-to-back workshops and sessions that prepare them for a year of service in one of 17 states or Washington, D.C., where they will implement FoodCorps’ evidence-based strategies to help high-need schools become healthy schools.

For the past two years, the day before National Orientation begins has been dedicated to the Pre-Orientation Gathering for Native/Indigenous, Multiracial & Service Members of Color. Created and organized by Tiffany McClain, Director of Organizational Equity and Inclusion at FoodCorps, the pre-orientation gathering was designed to address the needs of incoming service members of color. Describing her motivation, Tiffany wrote to me:

A couple of years ago I interviewed some FoodCorps alums of color about their experiences as service members and many of them talked about how difficult it was to meet other service members of color amidst the hectic schedule and large numbers of people at national orientation. Usually distributed across different states and service sites, they felt like they walked away from FoodCorps without a deep connection to other people of color and indigenous people who shared their passions for food justice and wellness. So the inspiration for this pre-orientation gathering came out of a desire to help them fill that void.

In both college and grad school I benefited greatly from an opportunity to connect with and learn from other people of color with whom I shared a common passion, people who have continued to be part of my life and who I never would have met had someone not taken the initiative to create the space and opportunity for it.

But sometimes, even to people of color, providing this space this can seem like an odd decision.  One first-year service member was dismayed when she first saw the gathering on the agenda. Why are they separating us out? she thought.

Another service member expressed appreciation:  “When I saw it I felt more comfortable knowing there would be a space for me.”

These and many other perspectives shaped the conversations that took place that day. Service members began the day sharing their personal stories in response to a series of prompts. Through this exercise, participants  who heard something that resonated with their own stories were invited to join the storyteller in the middle of the room. It wasn’t long before almost everyone was standing. We found a shared strength in voices both disparate and similar.

Below is a sampling of those prompts, and the responses they elicited:

Who are you/your people: When and how did you/your family/ancestors’ history intersect with the history of this country or the place you consider home? Where did you/your family come from? Why did they move?

“My people were whoever I was around.”

“My people are queer and trans. My ancestors’ history is this country’s history.

“My parents come from India, from a farming community in an area known as the land of five rivers.”

“Where I come from, most people only have access to frozen, highly processed food. Produce has to be shipped in, and it’s expensive.”

What role did land/food/health play in you/your family/your ancestors’ struggles and triumphs?

“My grandparents had a garden. I was in my pre-teens when I learned that food doesn’t come from the grocery store; it comes from the ground.”

“My mother bought a farm and raised horses. We always had a garden.”

“I grew up on a reservation with no access to fresh foods. All we had was a convenience store.”

“My mother worked in food service. She spent all day serving food while we didn’t have food in our home.”

“Food didn’t keep us healthy; it kept us together.”

What brings you here today?

“I’m here because I love my people.”

“How do I include people who have been excluded?”

“Food is always at the center. Breaking bread is how you become a part of your family.”

“Food is a language of it’s own.”

“Food is medicine. We can grow old without growing sick.”

What is the intersection between your story/mission and FoodCorps’ mission?

“I want to shift the static narrative of what healthy means. You can maintain your health and your culture. Healthy eating doesn’t necessarily mean kale.”

“I’ve never been immersed in a group that felt similarly. I’ve never related to so many people.”

“I went from being a lost puppy dog who wanted to do community organizing to stepping into thinking about myself as an educator.”

“I see myself in my students and feel empowered and represented.”

The collective power generated in the room through the sharing of stories was palpable. That day, silences were broken. Issues were identified and examined. And a group of emerging leaders claimed their agency as the telling of stories segued into a brainstorming of solutions and actions.

While originally planned only as a pre-orientation gathering, at the urging of service members we gathered again on the penultimate day of National Orientation. This time, we met to share ideas that included self-care techniques for entering majority-white spaces, and suggestions for how lead with authenticity and empathy in this work when we encounter well-intentioned but ill-informed allies.

Service members spoke of the importance of the bonds they established during that first gathering in helping sustain them throughout the week.

As one participant shared, “Sometimes just having you there to exchange a look and a sigh when something happens, like girrrrrrrl…”—that connection was enough to get through those difficult moments.

That service member who was initially put off by what she saw as separation discovered the value of coming together with her peers: “Now I get it. And I’m so glad I had that experience to ground me and make connections before orientation started.”

These service members have since entered (or returned to) the communities they have dedicated a year to serving. While all will work with students from low-income homes and children of color, many will work with supervisors, principals, educators, and other leaders who make up a predominantly white space. As most people of color living in America are painfully aware, they will experience microaggressions or find themselves at the receiving end of a well-intentioned but ultimately hurtful gesture.

The pre-orientation is just one piece of an organization-wide effort to combat structural and interpersonal racism. In her new role as Director of Organizational Equity and Inclusion, Tiffany McClain will be working to ensure we at FoodCorps are doing the work we need to do both internally and externally to create a more just food system and a more just world. During orientation, service members received anti-racist trainings from Rachel Willis of Elevating Equity as well as  Erin Dunlevy and Cardozie Jones of the NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools.

Still, some white allies became concerned when they heard we were meeting again. Did something happen? they wanted to know. We laughed and shook our heads. Nothing had happened. All things considered, it was a calm week. We just wanted to continue the conversation and solidify the networks we need to ensure everyone has a seat at the table. And there remains much work to be done.

The post Shared Stories Build Collective Power for Service Members of Color appeared first on FoodCorps.

Share your questions in advance in the comments, on this Facebook event, or using #AskFoodCorps on Twitter.

Watch on YouTube Live

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Meet the Panelists

Rebecca Cohen

Rebecca served on the Tohono O’odham reservation in AZ. Rebecca still works for the school where she served as a college counselor helping native students apply to college.

Kristi Silva

Krista is from and served in NM and still lives in the community she served. She currently works for the National Latino Behavioral Health Association. You can read an interview with Kristi in this article on Grist.org.

Kalu Oyama

Kalu was born on the island of Oahu and served at Naalehu Elementary, the very same school her sons attend.

Erika VanDyke

Erika works as a family resource coordinator at an elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, helping families with basic needs, making mental health referrals, handling attendance issues, recruiting volunteers and donors, and wearing 100 other hats, as well.  Erika has been in this job since this late September, and is currently plotting to revive some raised bed gardens that she spotted underneath all the Michigan snow.

Andrea Blanton

Andrea Blanton is a food enthusiast and garden educator in the metro Atlanta area. After finishing her term of service with FoodCorps, she has continued her love for good food via managing farmer’s markets, supporting garden initiatives and now acts as the first Garden Coordinator for the Clayton County School District. With compassion and skills, she hopes to be a conduit of health, food, and service.

Special Introduction

Jerusha Klemperer, a FoodCorps co-founder and now our Communications Director, will introduce the panel! Jerusha has over 15 years experience working in nonprofits, including as an Associate Program Director at Slow Food USA, where she helped design and implement national lifestyle and advocacy campaigns that sought to transform food policy as well as individuals’ relationships to food.

Moderator

MJ Santiago, Service Member Recruitment Coordinator for FoodCorps, will moderate the conversation. Originally from a small town in central Florida, MJ has worked to increase access to critical resources for underserved communities across the nation. Prior to joining FoodCorps in 2016, MJ served a year in AmeriCorps with Reading Partners.

The post #AskFoodCorps: Making Your Application Shine appeared first on FoodCorps.