Rockingham County
Primary Program Area Focus: Community Viability
Describe the plans for this internship. (i.e., What specifically will the intern be doing?)
The summer intern will work with specialists and agents to support the development and implementation of Extension programs and research within the Shenandoah Valley region and Virginia. The position will be based in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Examples of projects the intern might be expected to assist with include:
- Work on community-based food system, farm-to-table and water quality extension research and educational programs
- Support and promotion of Buy Fresh Buy Local and mobile applications
- Promoting and mapping institutional resources to enhance local food procurement and environmental stewardship.
- Research support to enhance agricultural by-product utilization and alternative energy technologies
- Assist with uploading and curating website content related to community food systems, farm-to-table initiatives, soil and water conservation, and environmental stewardship
- Data collection, videotaping farm-to-table interviews and assisting with other agricultural and environmental related research and programs.
Describe the knowledge / skills the intern is expected to gain from this experience.
We expect the intern will gain an appreciation for and understanding of Virginia Cooperative Extension and the community viability program. The intern is expected to be a team player and flexible, and to be able to effectively communicate with a diverse audience. Additionally, the summer intern will need to be able to perform tasks and duties without direct and constant supervision. The intern will also participate in a mid-term review of their internship experience to insure that the expectations of the intern and VCE are being met. An exit interview and a detailed internship report will be submitted to campus at the conclusion of the intern program. Extension personnel and staff will work with the intern’s university to assure that requirements for course credit are met.
How will the intern learn about the breadth of VCE and our various program areas?
The successful applicant will get well-rounded exposure to community viability, agriculture by-product utilization, community food systems, environmental issues, and Virginia Cooperative Extension’s educational programming. The community viability program works closely to address issues and research related to community food systems, water quality, farm profitability and sustainability, environmental stewardship, Buy Fresh Buy Local, food security. As a member of a team, the successful candidate will also work on agricultural by-product utilization research and gain exposure to geographic information system (GIS) tools, as well as food, nutrition, and health programs.