Careers

Description:

Rural Oregon needs you now more than ever! Oregon’s rural communities need your expertise, energy, and drive to make a difference more now than ever before. Please consider stepping in and stepping up by taking on a year of service with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Rural Oregon calls... NOW is your time to make a difference! 

The University of Oregon’s Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program has multiple openings for Community Food Systems Coordinator positions. Community Food Systems Coordinators are hosted at governmental and nonprofit organizations in rural Oregon communities and will focus on a variety of food systems development projects, including implementing Oregon Food Bank’s established model for completing Community Food Assessments, developing rural agritourism opportunities, or working within health and nutrition education. Food Systems Coordinators will collaborate with key local stakeholders to assess capacity to build a stronger local and regional food system. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with a strong desire to utilize and develop interpersonal skills for community outreach and group facilitation. Placements will be in various rural communities across Oregon.

Examples include:

• Facilitating and development of community food assessments and tribal food sovereignty assessments
• Enhancing local farmers’ markets and food related business activities
• Developing regional agritourism food trails

Term of service: September 2021 - July 2022

Join us for online info sessions about the RARE Program:

February 25^th, 9:00-10:00am PST

March 24^th, 12:00-1:00pm PST

April 6^th, 4:00-5:00pm PST

Click here to register

Benefits of serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program:

• Living Stipend/Monthly: $1,800
• Medical Insurance: If eligible, we will provide medical insurance.
• Possible Child Care Benefits: If eligible, child care benefits are available.
• Segal Educational Award: At the successful completion of 11 months (1,700 hours) of service, RARE AmeriCorps members are eligible to receive an educational award of $6,345.
• Student Loan Forbearance
• Training in Community Development, Grant Writing, Communication, Land Use, Economic Development, Facilitation, Leadership, Etc.
• Nine Graduate Credits: Each RARE AmeriCorps member will be eligible for 9 graduate credits from the University of Oregon’s Master of Community & Regional Planning, Master of Public Administration, or Master of Nonprofit Management program. (Other university programs may or may not accept the credits).
• In-state Tuition: If a member is moving to Oregon, after the successful completion of their service they are be eligible for in-state tuition.

More information about our Food Systems work.

More information about the Community Food Assessments and FEAST events we do with Oregon Food Bank.

More information on current members.

Skills: Ability to listen, communicate clearly and professionally, and find common ground with those who may have competing needs. Respond quickly through emails, phone calls and in-person meetings. Requires excellent verbal and written skills. Ability to work alone and with a team to meet objectives. Commitment to rural food systems work.

Qualifications: RARE AmeriCorps members are required to be either U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. In addition, you will need to hold a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate applied community experience as well as coursework or equivalent experience in three or more of the following areas: planning or statistical analysis, planning or economic theory, project management, community or economic development, environmental planning, geographic information systems and grant writing. Check out our answers to frequently asked questions.

The deadline to apply is 5pm on Friday, April 23rd. Apply now! 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Victoria Binning directly. Victoria is always happy to talk food systems. You can schedule a prospective member call directly through Calendly.