New Opportunities for Students and Volunteers
Posted: January 8, 2015
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario
Sustain Interns and Alum!
Are you a food policy fan? Do you get excited over the idea of transforming Ontario’s food systems? Are you looking for an internship that will put you on the food map in Ontario? Look no further! Sustain Ontario is seeking new part-time volunteers and student interns and we want you to join us!
We’re looking for talented, energetic individuals who want to grow their professional portfolio and network by dedicating their time and creativity to various tasks such as policy research, working group facilitation, and communications support.
We offer great practical work experience, a huge network of contacts along with flexible hours and work you can sink your teeth into. We love self-starters who can take initiative but who are also collaborative in their approach. Apply by January 19th at 10a.m. by sending your resume and a cover letter stating your interest to opportunities@sustainontario.ca.
Please note that internships must be connected to school credit. We’ve included information about more flexible volunteer opportunities at the bottom of the post!
Interviews: January 21-23, 2015
Orientation: TBD for week of January 26, 2015
End Date: April 2015
Preference is given to applicants who can work from our Toronto office although there is some flexibility for off-site hours. Interviews will take place in-person or via Skype or phone. Resumes and cover letters can be directed to opportunities@sustainontario.ca.
Student Roles
Here’s an example of some of our current priority areas where student interns can make an impact:
Working Group Facilitation
Sustain Ontario members and allies participate in working groups to share best practices from their communities and to learn from each other, but they also have an underlying policy element in that each of them have key policy areas that they could influence. We are currently seeking for additional facilitation support for 3 working groups:
- Municipal/Regional Food Policy Councils
- School Food (related to the Ontario Edible Education Network)
- Food Access
Each of these working groups has a dedicated facilitator. Student facilitators will help aggregate and share resources, conduct research, build webpages, take detailed minutes and develop policy briefs. We are looking for students interested in collaborative policy, research and possibly website layout and design to support these groups.
Bring Food Home Event Planning
The 4th Bring Food Home conference is happening in November 2015! Bring Food Home is Ontario’s biennial conference that connects individuals and organizations working towards sustainable food systems. The 2013 conference brought together over 450 participants over 3 days. We’re looking for a creative team-player to assist with sponsorship, media outreach, and program development. This role is ideal for an individual passionate about setting the stage for engaging, memorable gatherings. Take this opportunity to grow your experience with multi-day conferences, community tours, and food-centric special events.
Membership Outreach and Development
Sustain Ontario relies on its members to thrive and develop our policy stances and mobilize transformative ideas. As we head into our first renewal season in 2015, we are looking for a student keen on strategic development and graphic design (an asset) to help us strengthen our membership strategy, including communication tools and an annual policy survey. This role is ideal for an individual who is enthusiastic about organizational development, networks, governance, graphic design and strategic planning.
Communications and Website Whiz
Support us in telling the stories about good food ideas and innovators with our social media and newsletter outreach. As an avid reader, you will support the development of our new working group websites with a refreshed approach to resource sharing. This role is ideal for an individual who has a passion for storytelling, a keen design sense, a knack for managing large amounts of information, and experience with (or willingness to learn!) WordPress, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and/or Campaign Monitor.
Volunteering
We are also recruiting part-time volunteers on a rolling basis for special projects such as community event support and occasional writing assignments for our popular blog. Ideal candidates are able to dedicate time during regular business hours for at least 10 weeks. Individuals should get in touch to express their interest along with a resume. Resumes and cover letters can be directed to opportunities@sustainontario.ca with “Volunteer” in the subject line.