Become a FoodCorps Member

Sust`aina ble Molokai News Release

FoodCorps is currently recruiting service members throughout Hawaii who are passionate about teaching children what healthy food is, where it comes from, and expanding hands-on nutrition education programs. This includes Sust`aina ble Molokai, which is recruiting for new service members to serve on Molokai at our island schools.  The deadline to apply for the 2015–2016 school year is March 31.

FoodCorps is a national organization addressing childhood obesity and food insecurity in underserved communities, and currently operates in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Through its partnership with AmeriCorps, FoodCorps recruits, trains, and places emerging leaders, known as service members, into limited-resource communities for a year of service. Hawaii Island-based nonprofit The Kohala Center serves as the state’s host site.

Applications are currently being accepted for positions nationwide for the 2015–2016 academic year, including several in Hawaii. Applicants must be 18 years or older by the start of service and hold a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. Hawaii residents are especially encouraged to apply. The service member application and additional information are available online at foodcorps.org/become-a-service-member.

Service members dedicate 11 months of full-time (35.5 hours average per week) public service in select public schools, charter schools, and non-profit organizations, known as service sites. They each receive a $17,500 stipend; basic health, vision, and dental insurance; potential student loan forbearance; and partial childcare reimbursements. Those who complete their 1,700 hours of service receive a $5,730 education award, which may be used to pay tuition or repay qualified student loans. All service members receive two national trainings, mentoring from food system leaders, as well as local and online training on topics related to food, farming, nutrition, cooking, and public health.

To expand the connection between hands-on learning and core curriculum, service members work with teachers to integrate a series of food and nutrition activity lessons into classes as diverse as health, math, English, and science. FoodCorps service members grow healthy food with students, teachers, and community members in school and community gardens, connecting children with their food and the `aina (land, earth). They also assist in building relationships between the islands’ farms and local schools in an effort to increase children’s access to healthy food in school cafeterias.

On Friday, Feb. 27, FoodCorps Service Members Lacey Phifer and Jameil Saez, who currently serve with Sust`aina ble Molokai, will be recruiting anyone that may be interested in becoming a FoodCorps Service Member from noon to 2 p.m. at UH Maui College Molokai campus. Please come if you’d like to hear about the program and/or if you would like help with your application.

For more information please email Lacey Phifer at lacey.phifer@foodcorps.org, harmonee@sustainablemolokai.org, or call Sust`aina ble Molokai at 560-5410.