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Community Food Educator

Team Up
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Program Overview: Team Up AmeriCorps places AmeriCorps members at organizations throughout Southwest Colorado. While these members serve as part of a regional cohort and participate in regional cohort trainings and activities, they spend the majority of their term serving directly at a specific host site organization. Through collaborative service, Team Up AmeriCorps members develop their own professional skills and passions, expand effectiveness of southwest Colorado organizations, and ultimately support people to thrive. Team Up has been utilizing collective impact initiatives since 2015 to collaborate across sectors and promote communication towards common goals within rural Southwest Colorado communities.


 

This fall Team Up AmeriCorps is seeking two Community Food Educators. Each Educator would split their service time between two local  service sites, both 501(c)3 nonprofits focused on food and community: The Montezuma School to Farm Project (MSTFP) and The Good Samaritan Center (GSC).


 

MSTFP’s mission is to unite our local agricultural heritage with our growing future by engaging students at the crossroads of food production, resource conservation, and nutrition through educational experiences. MSTFP has been operational in the community of Montezuma County for 16 years. What began as a project under the conservation district grew into its own nonprofit in 2020. MSTFP has hosted AmeriCorps members for 10 years. Members have taught lessons, helped in the school gardens and become an integral part of the organization and community.


 

Good Samaritan Center Food Pantry offers food to anyone who needs it, with a mission to ensure we all have equitable access to healthy food and supportive connections while working together to build a more just food system. GSC began operating 45 years ago and has been under its current justice-oriented model for five years. GSC offers free grocery items & local produce, workshops, events and volunteer opportunities. Good Sam’s prioritizes variety, choice and culturally-relevant food in a market-style environment. As an organization, Good Sam’s focuses on values-based sourcing of food with the goal of building food sovereignty by empowering ourselves and other marginalized members of the community.


 

Service Position Summary: The Community Food Educator’s main focus will be on education surrounding food literacy in the local schools and at the food pantry. They will assist with in-school lessons and out of school programming and create community outreach events focusing on nutrition, food production and resource conservation. They will be assisting with food distribution and community outreach through educational events. When serving in the schools, the AmeriCorps will focus primarily on elementary aged students, with an occasional visit to the middle schools. At the Good Sam's Food Pantry, they will be serving with the existing volunteers and also the population that visits the pantry during food distribution. Montezuma County serves many communities including the Dine, Ute Mountain Ute tribe, Hopi people, Hispanic populations and multi generational farming and ranching families.


 

AmeriCorps members will serve together in a team, splitting their time between both sites. During harvest and planting season, more time will be spent in the MSTFP school gardens and during the winter, more time will be spent at the food pantry. The duties are very seasonally-dependent and follow the school year, so time will be split up to reflect these ebbs and flows. When planning community events that benefit both organizations, members will be expected to work together as a team but during teaching they may work together or be split up to assist another member of the MSTFP team. 


 

Duties and Responsibilities: Team Up AmeriCorps members serve directly at their Host Site organization to develop, implement, and enhance programs, projects, and activities through direct and indirect service. Duties include:

  • MSTFP Duties: 
    • Maintain school gardens at all school sites
    • Assist in teaching lessons with other MSTFP employees
    • Develop and implement new lesson plans aligned with our mission
    • Assist in planning community events and pioneer new events to engage the community with our mission
    • Create instagram posts using photos taken by AmeriCorps members and other staff members 
  • Good Sam Duties:
    • Maintain the pantry’s garden.
    • Develop and implement mission-aligned nutrition, gardening and food system lesson plans for shoppers, volunteers and the wider community.
    • Develop recipes using pantry food items and prepare samples for shoppers during distribution hours.
  • Overlapping Duties:
    • Assist in planning community events and pioneer new events to engage the community with our missions
    • Track host site and AmeriCorps data
    • Attend Team Up AmeriCorps regional trainings, cohort connection days, and Days of Service


 

Physical, Emotional, and Intellectual Demands:

  • Willingness to learn, adapt, and grow in a position
  • Ability to serve independently, take initiative, and be motivated by the projects they are doing
  • Compassion and awareness: self-awareness, awareness of cultural differences, social differences and understanding of implicit bias


 

Desired Qualifications:

  • Ethic of national and community service and a strong desire to create positive change
  • Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; computer literate
  • High School Graduate required (GED accepted,) college graduate or equivalent work experience preferred
  • Ability to pass criminal history check
  • Reliable transportation & proof of auto insurance
  • U.S. Citizenship or lawful permanent resident status required  


 

Term of Service - Time Commitment: This position spans 2 terms: a 675-hour position from October 14 through February 28, 2025 - followed immediately by a 900-hour term from March 1 - August 31, 2025.  Both terms require approx 40 hours/week. Flexible hours are required, including occasional evening and weekend commitments. Service on the following dates is required:


 

  • October 14-15: Team Up AmeriCorps Member Orientation
    • October 15: Meet n’ Greet with all Members & Site Supervisors
  • October 16: First Day at Host Site/Host Site Orientation
  • Jan 19: Dr. MLK Jr. Day Activity
  • March 31: Cesar Chavez Day of Service
  • April TBD: Spring Convening of Members & Site Supervisors
  • 2nd Wednesdays, monthly: Cohort Connections
    • in-person in November, February, April, and June


 

Training and Support Provided: Team Up AmeriCorps members receive significant training and experience in community engagement, project implementation, leadership, diverse populations, and more. Up to 20% of total hours served may be spent in applicable, approved trainings. Members will be supervised and supported by MSTFP’s Director Sorrell Redford sredford@mstfp.org and GSC’s Director Kirbi Foster director@goodsamscortez.org), as well as by Team Up AmeriCorps program staff. The PY 25-26 cohort of Team Up AmeriCorps members serving throughout the region will also act as additional resources and support for each other.

Location and Service Conditions: This position is based out of the Good Samaritan Center and MSTFP’s shared warehouse located at 30 N. Beech St, Cortez. This space has an attached educational garden as well as a mobile kitchen. The member/s will also spend significant time at MSTFP’s school gardens at the Cortez Middle School, Kemper elementary, Mesa elementary, Mancos elementary and Mancos Early Learning Center. Occasional off-site engagement and partnership activities, meetings, etc. will be required.


 

Benefits:

  • A living allowance of approx. $1,115.63/per pay period (twice per month). Taxes are deducted and the living allowance is distributed by direct deposit to the member’s bank account.
  • An education award of $2,817.14 upon successful completion of the 675-hr term and $3,697.50 upon successful completion of the 900-hr term.
  • Health Insurance, if serving in a 1700- or 1200-hour position
  • Childcare Assistance, if qualifications are met
  • It is possible to temporarily postpone repayment of qualified student loans through forbearance while serving as an AmeriCorps member
  • Mileage reimbursement for travel to required AmeriCorps trainings and gatherings
  • Non-tangible benefits including extensive training, valuable experience, networking, and the opportunity to serve the local community in a crucial area of need
  • Access to fresh produce from MSTFP’s school gardens
  • Access to Good Sam’s food and resources at no cost


 

Diversity and Equal Opportunity: Team Up values the diversity of our community.  In principle and in practice the diverse nature of our board, staff, and volunteers is recognized as one of our best assets.  We respect each individual’s unique gifts and prohibit unfair or discriminatory practices against anyone because of age, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and any other protected category.


 

AmeriCorps prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment based on the protected categories of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability (mental or physical), political affiliation, marital or parental status, pregnancy, reprisal, genetic information (including family medical history), or military service.


 

To Apply:

Step 1. Email a cover letter and resume to Team Up AmeriCorps Coordinator Anne Poirot @ AnneP@TeamUpSW.org. Be sure to indicate which position(s) you are interested in.

Step 2. Create an account on myAmeriCorps.gov and submit an application for the position https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=127348. Please complete BOTH steps to apply.