Foodcorps-Ma-Partners-2021-2022-1
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FoodCorps Massachusetts Partners 2021-22 Below you will find detailed descriptions for confirmed service sites located in Massachusetts. Each description includes details about the community where the service site is based,the overall work and mission of the organization, and what an incoming service member can expect to do on a day-to-day basis at this site. There is always a possibility of these sites changing, so please reach out with any specific questions to [email protected]! We hope this document will help you to best determine where you are most interested in serving! Index: 1. Healthy Chelsea (Chelsea, MA) 2. Mill City Grows- Lowell Public Schools (Lowell, MA) 3. Springfield Public Schools (Springfield, MA) 4. Marion Institute (New Bedford, MA) 5. Holyoke Public Schools (Holyoke, MA) 6. Boston 1 Healthy Chelsea Chelsea- Food Education Service Member Community Description: Chelsea is a small and vibrant community just north of Boston. It is a very dense urban area with many challenges, but far greater opportunities, and people who are resilient and dedicated to making life in Chelsea better for all. It is culturally and ethnically rich with many different nationalities. For generations, the city has been a landing site for new immigrant communities. Today, it is home to immigrant and refugee communities from Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The city is majority Latinx, and more than two-thirds of Chelsea community members are Spanish-speaking. Chelsea has wonderful parks and open spaces, public transportation to Boston, and unique restaurants and stores. The city is surrounded by water, but has minimal public waterfront access--community partners working toward environmental justice are fighting to change that. Site Description: Healthy Chelsea is a community coalition, supported by Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Community Healthy Improvement (CCHI), with a mission to improve the health outcomes of Chelsea residents. The coalition formed in 2010 as an initiative of the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center and initially focused on healthy eating and active living in the schools and community. Its focus has since widened to include substance use disorders and trauma-informed care. Healthy Chelsea works on projects in all areas of the community, but one of the strongest partnerships is with the Chelsea Public Schools. Healthy Chelsea collaborates with the school department and individual schools to create and foster a culture of health and wellness. This is done through school garden programming and education, school food improvement, cafeteria taste tests, youth-led food justice initiatives, and promotion of physical activity in the classroom. Service Activities Description: Early Learning Center- The ELC has a 3-year-old garden, a 1-year-old indoor garden space, and a team of admin and staff that is especially committed to health and wellness. The service member helps coordinate planting activities for the outdoor and indoor gardens, supports Harvest of the Month lessons and tastings in classrooms during and after school, and leads garden-based lessons for the summer program. Berkowitz Elementary School - The FoodCorps service member teaches a 12-lesson series to all 2nd grade classes over the course of the year. These lessons meet ELA, math, and science standards. There are also monthly Harvest of the Month tastings in the school's cafeteria, which the service member leads, and regular cafeteria presence promoting different vegetables or entrees. 2 Hooks- The FoodCorps service member teaches a 12-lesson series to all 2nd grade classes over the course of the year. These lessons meet ELA, math, and science standards. There are also monthly Harvest of the Month tastings in the school's cafeteria, which the service member leads, and regular cafeteria presence promoting different vegetables or entrees. Kelly - The FoodCorps service member teaches a 12-lesson series to all 2nd grade classes over the course of the year. These lessons meet ELA, math, and science standards. There are also monthly Harvest of the Month tastings in the school's cafeteria, which the service member leads, and regular cafeteria presence promoting different vegetables or entrees. (potentially) Sokolowski - The FoodCorps service member teaches a 12-lesson series to all 2nd grade classes over the course of the year. These lessons meet ELA, math, and science standards. There are also monthly Harvest of the Month tastings in the school's cafeteria, which the service member leads, and regular cafeteria presence promoting different vegetables or entrees. Skills, Interest, Knowledge Preferences: Cultural competency in working with immigrant communities, familiarity with gardening in New England Helpful Languages: Spanish, Somali, Arabic Service Members Need Car? Very helpful 3 Mill City Grows- Lowell Public Schools Lowell- School Nutrition Service Member Community Description : Lowell is a mid-sized, post-industrial city with a population of a little over 109,000 residents. Lowell was the birthplace of American Industry and has beautiful mills that were once home to textile manufacturing. Our city is split by the Merrimack River, which once powered the mills. Today our community is extremely diverse and our culture, food, and festivals reflect the many people that call Lowell home. Lowell is a wonderful place to live, work, and play. We have tons of art galleries, amazing restaurants for any budget, and numerous free festivals each year. If you love being outdoors, the Riverwalk and the Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest are great places for walking, hiking, and biking. The Merrimack and Concord rivers are great places to paddle around and see a different side of the city. We are just 35 miles from Boston, which is accessible by train from Lowell. Lowell is also within a 45 minute drive to the coast or the mountains. We are ideally situated for easy access to recreation of all kinds. A car is preferred for service at this site. Organization Description: Mill City Grows fosters food justice by improving physical health, economic independence, and environmental sustainability in Lowell through increased access to land, locally-grown food, and education. Mill City Grows creates and manages school and community gardens, grows produce on three urban farms, trains gardeners, provides food and nutrition education to Lowell Public School students, and increases access to local food. Mill City Grows has installed 14 school gardens within the Lowell Public School District. Lowell Public Schools (LPS) educates more than 14,000 students in grades PreK -12 each year. In an average year student participation in LPS's school meals program is 78% for lunch and 60% for breakfast. LPSFNS’s overall 2019-2020 food costs were $2.3 million and local procurement accounts for approximately 30.3% of all food cost, and 23.7% of all produce costs. Service Activities Description: The close partnership that exists between Lowell Public Schools Food and Nutrition Program and Mill City Grows will allow FoodCorp members to work cohesively on district wide initiatives that support the district's Farm to School Strategic Plan. This includes: supporting hands-on Food Service Farm to School trainings, creating promotion including farm videos, cooking videos and food service spotlights, recipe development with local products and student, teacher and family engagement to increase morale and collect feedback on the school meal program. Additionally, FoodCorp members will provide garden support and 4 coordination amongst the district's 15 school school gardens by working closely with each schools' leadership team (comprised of administrators, teachers, school support staff, and parents) and in conjunction with Mill City Grows Education Coordinator. FoodCorp members will also have one "home-base" school where they provide programming and classroom education through approximately 3, 5-week sessions of FoodCorp curriculum in the classroom during the school year. Lastly, FoodCorp members will have the opportunity to opt into 1-2 additional food justice and/or food access projects currently underway in Lowell -- whether that is co-managing a monthly school district food bank that services 250 families; working on Mill City Grows' production farm; helping teach Farm to Table Family Cooking Classes or hosting food/nutrition workshops with community partners. Skills, Interest, Knowledge Preferences: Mill City Grows/Lowell Public Schools is looking for service members who are passionate about food justice, food service and teaching as well as eager and open-minded to any tasks that come their way. It would be wonderful (though not required) to have Service Members with a background in food production and previous experience working with children K-4. We would also love candidates with an interest in growing and cooking with culturally-appropriate crops that reflect the diverse population of Lowell Public Schools. Familiarity with New England and Lowell specifically is also a plus! Helpful Languages: Spanish, Khmer, Arabic, Swahili, Portuguese, Burmese Service Members Need Car? Required 5 Springfield Public Schools Springfield- Food Education Service Member Community Description Springfield is a city in western Massachusetts, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern Mill River.