Temporary BCOE Planting Seeds Intern - Office of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness at Middletown Public Schools

The Bailey College of the Environment is seeking interns to serve in food justice organizations across the state through our Planting Seeds program. The intern is managed by their on-site supervisor, as well as a BCOE designated supervisor. The internship is part of a broader project building a network of food justice and environmental justice groups in CT and supporting student engagement. Interns will work on-site four days a week. One day a week, they will engage in a food justice curriculum with the BCOE Project Coordinator (Malana Rogers-Bursen) and the Professor of the Practice (Christine Caruso). Transportation and lunch provided for this course.

The Office of Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Services at Middletown Public Schools is seeking a motivated and responsible high school student intern to assist with projects that support school nutrition, sustainability, and student wellness initiatives. This internship provides an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in school gardens, healthy meal planning, and environmental sustainability while making a meaningful impact in the school community. The intern will work closely with the Director and department staff on a variety of engaging projects.

Key Responsibilities:

School Garden Support

• Assist with planting, watering, and maintaining school gardens.

• Help create fun and engaging garden-based learning activities for younger students.

• Promote the school garden initiative through posters, social media, and school announcements.

• Work with teachers and staff to make gardening an interactive learning experience.

School Recipe Assistance

• Participate in taste-testing and provide feedback on new school meal recipes.

• Help develop ideas for school meals that reflect diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Assist in simple meal prep activities under supervision.

• Learn about how school meals are planned, prepared, and served.

Reusable Servingware Education

• Assist in creating fun and educational materials to teach students about reusable cafeteria trays and utensils.

• Help monitor the transition to reusable servingware in the cafeteria.

• Encourage fellow students to properly use and return reusable trays and utensils.

• Provide feedback on how to make the program more engaging for students.

Nutrition & Environmental Awareness

• Help research and prepare simple presentations on how nutrition and sustainability connect.

• Support hands-on activities related to healthy eating and environmental stewardship.

• Assist in setting up and running school-wide events or activities focused on food and wellness.

• Work with school staff to find creative ways to engage students in learning about healthy habits.

Schedule & Availability:

The intern is required to work 37.5 hours a week, with 30 hours at their site and 7.5 hours rotating around the state for the workshop times. The 30 hours at their site are flexible dependent on the sites needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school student in good academic standing.

• Interest in nutrition, sustainability, gardening, or student wellness.

• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

• Responsible, dependable, and eager to learn.

• Creative and willing to contribute ideas to school programs.

Additional Applicant Instructions:

Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.

Pay Rate: $17.50/hr.

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers.  For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.  

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.