MISSON: Wellness in the Schools inspires healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness as a way of life for kids in public schools across the country. Through meaningful public/private partnerships with school leadership, teachers, chefs, coaches, parents and kids, Wellness in the Schools creates hands-on programs such as Cook for Kids, Green for Kids and Coach for Kids. These programs provide healthy foods, healthy environments and opportunities for regular play to help kids learn and grow. WITS is currently in 47 NYC public schools, with 12 partnership schools in eastern Kentucky, and 2 pilot schools in Florida.
About the Position: Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is looking for one intern to assist with program, development, and administrative projects in our main office. WITS has a large, and growing, program base and is operated by a small, dedicated staff- so there are a variety of things to work on and each week brings new needs and projects. The WITS Fall intern should have an interest, and preferably experience, in healthy food, culinary arts, teaching, childhood health and wellness, fitness, and/or education. The selected candidate will gain experience in working with a growing non-profit, where the key to most problems is adaptability. The intern will report to the Program and Development Coordinators, as well as liaise with other office, program, and executive staff. If interested, the intern will have the opportunity to work with the WITS Cooks and/or Coaches and visit a variety of public schools and students throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Potential Intern Activities
- Assist the Cook for Kids program by helping to develop and organize the WITS Labs and WITS BITS (cooking demonstrations and nutrition education for students)
- Assist WITS Cooks and Liaisons when needed by travelling to WITS schools to help with WITS Labs/WITS BITS or other special school events
- Assist with researching potential funding sources and school partners
- Update social media outlets with videos, photos as needed
- Assist in planning, marketing and executing special events
- Provide support to program staff and other administrative duties as needed
- Special projects as they develop, based on intern interest areas and organization needs
Intern Qualifications
- Upperclassmen pursuing a bachelor's degree, recent graduates or students pursuing a master's degree in marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, health, nonprofit management, public affairs or a related field, those pursuing or who have completed a culinary degree or have experience in culinary education.
- Interest in food, education, and health, particularly focused on children
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Strong organization skills
- Self-starter, able to prioritize and self-manage when needed
- Strong writing skills, experience with recipe and/or curriculum development a plus
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Effective interpersonal communication skills
Internship Application Requirements
Hours for this internship are flexible. We would prefer someone who can be in the office for roughly 15-20 hours a week for either 2-3 full days or 3-4 full and half days. These hours will be worked at our office on the Upper West Side, but may require travel to schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. Transportation for travel days will be covered by WITS. Interns should be able to commit at least 16 weeks, ideally for a full fall or spring semester, at which point we can discuss an extension.
