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Just Food – Member Assignment Description
Deadline: June 30, 2008 / Start Date: July 28, 2008
AmeriCorps*VISTA: NYC Food and Fitness Partnership
Youth Leadership Project Associate
Project Description:
The NYC Food and Fitness Partnership is one of nine collaboratives funded by the Kellogg Foundation to engage in a 2-year planning process that will address community driven responses to the growing obesity epidemic in NYC. The Partnership is focusing on, but is not limited to, impacting three areas identified as highest risk- South Bronx, East Harlem and Central Brooklyn. At the end of this planning phase, the Partnership will produce an implementation plan aimed at reducing disparities in access to healthy foods and opportunities for safe and convenient physical activity.
The NYC Food and Fitness Partnership is meant to accomplish the following:
- Convene and maintain a Citywide collaborative that has diverse membership and includes Community and Youth
representation to explore and address the current food and fitness environment.
- Develop a planning process that provides opportunity for engagement and participation by all members.
- Produce a food and fitness plan for implementation and evaluate the process of building the collaborative
The Partnership is a growing entity comprised currently of over 300 representatives from community-based organizations, non-profits, academic institutions, businesses and City agencies. Partnership members meet within “Action Teams” to develop potential projects to be built into the implementation plan. Each Action Team focuses on different areas where change and improvements can be focused; Adult Settings (e.g., the workplace), Built Environment (e.g., parks), Clinical Settings, Food Retail and Youth Settings. Each Action Team also has working groups that focus on the development of specific short term projects to be implemented during our planning phase.
Community coalitions from South Bronx, East and Central Harlem and Central Brooklyn each have representation on the Partnership Steering Committee and members participate in the Action Teams. As part of the Partnership’s Youth Leadership Project, each Community Coalition will convene a local Youth Food and Fitness Coalition. The Youth Leadership Project Associate will be responsible for recruiting and organizing members from local Coalitions to convene as part of a Citywide Youth Food and Fitness Coalition. The Project Associate will also serve on the Partnership Steering Committee when a youth representative of the Citywide Youth Food and Fitness Coalition is unavailable.
Youth Leadership Project Associate will be responsible for the following duties:
- Coordination of Citywide Youth Food and Fitness Coalition meetings, including developing agenda, facilitating, scheduling and documentation of meetings, as well as communication with Youth members.
- Guide Youth in developing their policy platform and agenda as it relates to food and fitness.
- Assisting Community Coalitions with the formation and coordination of their local Youth Food and Fitness Coalitions.
- Serving as Citywide Youth Food and Fitness Coalition representative at Steering Committee meetings.
- Attend Action Team and Community Coalition meetings when needed and appropriate.
- Administrative tasks as needed.
- Availability to travel (funded).
Required background and skills:
- BA or equivalent work experience required.
- Experience working with Youth.
- Experience with Microsoft Office applications, especially proficiency in Access.
- Highly responsible and reliable with strong multi-tasking skills.
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
- Strong interpersonal and public speaking skills.
- Understanding of and experience with any of the 3 targeted regions- South Bronx, East and Central Harlem and Central Brooklyn.
- Interest in improving communities’ access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.
The individual in this position will be supervised and supported by the Coordinator of the NYC Food and Fitness Partnership. The main location will be at City Harvest, 575 8th Avenue, but travel to other sites in the City will be required as necessary. Opportunity to travel outside NYC for conferences.
To apply, please fill out an application at www.americorps.org AND send a cover letter and resume to Monica Chierici, Partnership Coordinator, at monica@nycfoodandfitness.org. |
