The University of West Florida Honors Program, in partnership with Manna Food Gardens and the Unite Escambia Health Solutions Team, is proud to announce three credit-earning internships in the School Garden Program.   The Program fosters community well-being by establishing vegetable gardens in local schools and working with students and teachers to promote nutrition education and food awareness.  Currently serving nine schools in Escambia County, the Program seeks to reach as many students as possible by building more gardens and teaching them the benefits of  healthy eating.  Demand for school gardens from teachers, students and administrators is high, and funding for garden building projects is currently available.  The program is seeking three dedicated interns who are interested in serving as School Garden Project Leaders.

Internships are awarded for undergraduate credit and normally count as three semester hours of academic coursework, though programs may be tailored to meet individual student needs.  The normal length of time for an internship is one semester (spring or fall) or one summer term.  The required time commitment is 9 hours per week.  Interns will carry the title of “Student Garden Project Leader” and will report to  Ms. Sarah Bossa, Garden Coordinator for Manna Food Gardens, and Dr. Gregory Tomso, Associate Director of the UWF Honors Program.  With prior, written approval from Dr. Tomso, some internships may fulfill Honors seminar requirements.

Responsibilities of Student Garden Project Leaders will include:

• Initiating and maintaining contact with key faculty members from partner schools
• Assisting with site assessment and garden design
• Sourcing and picking up construction materials
• Organizing garden workdays with teachers and students
• Identifying and pursuing potential funding sources including grants and sponsorships
• Developing education modules covering topics such as planting, composting, cooking with local produce, and understanding basic nutrition
• Pursuing optional special projects that may include:  planting bamboo, constructing rain barrels, cultivating fruit trees, etc.
• Documenting garden progress with photos, journal writing, and/or blogging.
• Attending one Manna Board meeting (held the last Monday of every month) and one Unite Escambia Health Solutions Team meeting (held the last Thursday of every month).

It is helpful, but not required, for student interns to have knowledge of basic nutrition principles and/or organic gardening practices.  Students from all disciplines are welcome to apply.  The Program can provide educational materials and opportunities for interns wishing to learn more about food, nutrition, and gardening.

Student Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes are geared toward developing project management skills.   Students who successfully complete the internship will:

• Design and build a garden at a local school
• Develop partnerships with local  teachers and administrators
• Teach local students the importance of “food literacy” and the basics of good nutritional health
• Produce a substantive, reflective written record of the internship experience
• Write at least one grant application
• Present progress reports at community meetings

Required Texts

• California Gardens for Learning Handbook
• Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food
• Robert Kenner, dir., Food Inc .
• Florida Department of Education School Garden Department
  http://www.fldoe.org/bii/cshp/schoolgar.asp
• Edible Schoolyard New Orleans
  www.esynola.org
• Escambia County Extension
  http://escambia.ifas.ufl.edu/
• Damayan Garden Project
  www.damayan.org

Required Materials

• Work gloves
• Measuring Tape
• Compass
• Vehicle or other transportation to and from the garden site

Eligibility
To participate in the internship program, students must:

• Submit an application to Dr. Tomso (see below for application requirements).
• Be a UWF Honors student in good standing.
• Be able to perform the physical labor required by this internship. Students with disabilities who wish to apply should contact Dr. Tomso to discuss options.

To Apply
Students interested in applying for the School Garden Internship Program should submit the following materials via email or in print to Dr. Gregory Tomso (gtomso@uwf.edu), Bldg. 50, Room 206 on the Pensacola main campus.

• A 400-word letter of application detailing your interest in, qualifications for, and/or commitment to the values and mission of the School Garden Project.  The letter should also address how the internship fits with your current program of study.
• A copy of your UWF transcript (and prior transcripts, if total time at UWF is less than one year).
• A resume or c.v. detailing your academic achievements, work history, awards and honors, leadership experience and community involvement.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time.