Farm to School Champion – VOLUNTEER Position

Farm to School Champion – Volunteer Position

ABOUT OUR DISTRICT:

The Syracuse City School District is undergoing a new phase of innovation and transformation with the goal of ensuring that all students graduate high school with the skills needed to be ready for college and career. For Syracuse, all means all – including students who fall behind or have been considered “hard to serve” for a host of reasons. The School Board and Syracuse community have charged the Superintendent with improving student achievement, and he is seeking a dedicated and diverse team of school leaders and teachers to partner with him in moving the district toward its goals. The Syracuse City School District represents 34 schools and 4 alternative education programs, serving 19,000+ students Pre-K-12 of whom 77% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 18% are served by the Office of Special Education and 78% are students of color.

WHO WE WANT:

Successful SCSD staff are passionately committed to urban education and all in for Syracuse students. They:

• Believe strongly that all students can learn at high levels;
• Demonstrate commitment to serving urban students, schools or communities, and to closing the achievement gap;
• Demonstrate willingness to put the interests of students above all others;
• Actively contribute to a culture of high expectations in their school and district;
• Adapt seamlessly to the complexities of the urban school environment; and
• Follow current trends in education policy and research.

The Syracuse City School District (SCSD)’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has an ongoing project to remove barriers and build community connections by participating in local farm to institution efforts and facilitating local procurement partnerships. As a part of this initiative, SCSD hosts a “Harvest of the Month” program to provide fresh and local products throughout the school year to all children participating in the school meal program. SCSD hosted a local bid for any and all farmers/growers or local distributors. Each month, a local produce item is featured on the menu as a “Harvest of the Month” item.

Qualifications:

• Passion for student engagement
• Passion and desire to learn about farm to school efforts
• Ability to develop promotional materials about food production, nutrition, culinary, etc
• Ability to develop and test recipes for harvest of the month items
• Ability to provide own transportation to school sites
• The volunteer is required to pass an SCSD background check
• Independent worker who takes initiative and is also able to work in small teams
• Flexible and humble personality
• Creative thinker and problem solver

Time Commitment:

• 4-8 hours / month
• Availability on the third Wednesday of each month
• Qualified volunteers can also become involved with the FNS Student Food Council, permitting availability and qualifications

Responsibilities:

• Host a “Harvest of the Month” table, rotating through different SCSD schools
• Engage students with interesting activities around the “Harvest of the Month” item, including (but not limited to) taste tests, games, activities, trivia, etc

Interested volunteers are encouraged to contact Rebecca Garofano, School Dietitian, at rgarofano@scsd.us or 315-435-4207.

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