The HEAL Project looks to inspire students of all ages!

Join our team as an intern and learn valuable skills that will help you go on to create your own environmental programs, work in sustainable agriculture or operate nonprofit agencies. Internships with The HEAL Project can be customized to enhance your interests, talents or school curriculum.

Opportunities

• Summer Camp Education Internship

• Equity in the Food System

Typical internships are under six months and are part-time. Internships have paid and unpaid opportunities.

To apply email farm@thehealproject.org with your resume and a description of your interest.

Morgan Stonefelt

Fall 2020 - Spring 2021

As a Master of Public Health student, I have been fortunate to intern for The HEAL Project since October 2020. Teaching students about the relationship between the environment, their food, and health has been a culmination of all of my interests and previous experiences as a current MPH student and employee at a different nonprofit.

While THP’s programs and my internship look a bit different than usual due to COVID, there has still been plenty to learn! My primary objective thus far has been to evaluate THP’s current program evaluation methods in order to improve data collection that the organization can use moving forward. I have been working towards creating a simple, straightforward, and user-friendly program evaluation for current and future THP educators to use. At this point, I have created a logic model for the organization as well as teacher, parent and student surveys to measure outcomes of the programs.

Additionally, I have been working on creating a graphic representation of the schools that have participated in THP programming. This is an ongoing project, but so far has included working with GIS software and Google Maps to create a customized map, then plotting information on the map using datasets from the County of San Mateo. The idea behind the mapping project is that having a physical representation of the types of schools currently served by THP will allow us to see which communities we could better serve. Within this project I have also been researching the areas of greatest need within San Mateo County based off of Community Health Needs Assessments.

I will be finishing my internship experience at the beginning of the summer with a deep appreciation for my time here. As I currently work in nonprofits, I hope to continue my work in that space with lessons learned here.

Stephanie Congdon

Spring 2020

During the spring of 2020, I was lucky enough to spend time as a dietetic intern with The HEAL Project (THP). As a recent graduate in Foods and Nutrition from San Diego State University, I found that I believed in THP’s mission and wanted to learn more about the organization.

Throughout my childhood I was raised cooking in the kitchen with my parents using fresh whole ingredients. Family mealtime was an important part of our daily routine. To this day I thank my parents for teaching me how to cook and that consuming nutrient-dense foods is key to living a healthy life. As a mother of a growing toddler, I know the importance of teaching him about food and his health, as well as how food impacts our environment. I want him to grow up with an understanding of using food as medicine and I also want to inspire him to have an environmental awareness.

The HEAL Project’s mission really stood out to me, and after spending time as an intern it is clear to me that they can proudly stand behind it. The organization is very dedicated to educating and reaching as many children as possible. Their programs are designed to create an environment where kids can understand the strong connection between food, health, and protection of the environment. Through shadowing field trips at The Farm, I was able to learn how to better develop nutrition-based lesson plans. I really enjoyed my time at The Farm. It was such a breath of fresh air and every time I visited, I felt like I was in a secret oasis. I love that the children were able to be surrounded by so much beauty and that the colors of the rainbow were so bright in the fruits and vegetables. The Farm is a well-oiled machine! Fiona, the Farm Manager, has such a strong passion for her work and is extremely knowledgeable about farming and agriculture. She takes a lot of pride in The Farm and it really shows.

I was also able to work with Donya, the Farm Programs Manager. I visited a few San Mateo County elementary schools to help Donya with worm compost education. She is wonderful with the students and is very passionate about working at THP. I learned so much myself and loved how excited the children got when they saw the worms and learned about how compost is made. It was so great to see the students get to be so hands-on and explore their curiosity of nature. Another intern, Sophia, has been vigorously working on THP’s new CO-CSA program, which will bring food from The Farm to the homes of Coastside students and their families at a reduced price. I was excited to help with this program by recreating recipe ideas for the weekly CSA boxes.

The team at THP are amazing people! Amy, Julie, Chapin, Jaimie, and Sara are other team members that I worked with, and again, their passion for their work is incredible. It was such a pleasure to receive this opportunity and to gain knowledge about the organization.

Overall, my experience at THP was very positive and showed me that connecting with the community, and especially our youth, is extremely important for the future. I’m excited to watch THP grow and continue to do the amazing work that they are doing. Their dedication is heartwarming, and I believe that they will continue to create wonderful educational programs and reach as many children as possible. I am grateful for the time I had at The HEAL Project and I look forward to bringing my son to their farm camps soon!

Sophia Hunter

Winter 2019 - Spring 2020

As a student of Public Health, I appreciate the values of The HEAL Project (THP) and the mission to teach children where their food comes from and why it matters. I am a life-long Santa Cruz County resident and mom of three young boys; as such I have a deep appreciation for the work being done by THP to plant the seeds of change in young people. We are facing unprecedented challenges these days with regard to our environment, our food sources and overall health and well-being. Public Health has a role in all of these facets of life. I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with THP to bring together Public Health and food systems education.

I joined THP as an intern in October of 2019. The goal of my time with THP is to help create a Cost Offset Community Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) program. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model of food distribution that allows participants to pay to receive a weekly “share” of produce directly from a farm. This model benefits families and farmers while supporting sustainable food systems practices. It also offers kids and their families a chance to connect with their food in a new way.

The San Mateo County School Farm operated by THP in El Granada produces local seasonally and organically grown foods.Our CO-CSA program will bring food from the farm to the homes of Coastside students and their families. The cost offset aspect of the program allows for the CSA to be available at a reduced price for eligible families, with the option to use CalFresh dollars. The goals of the program are to increase access to fresh produce, encourage kids and families to try new foods, and to increase the confidence of kids and families in preparing healthy meals at home.

Our CO-CSA program will operate from the end of May through the summer months and will include recipe ideas for families to try at home using the contents of their weekly CSA share. There will also be an end of season “U-pick-and-pack” celebration. By providing the CSA over the summer, THP hopes to help ease the burden of food insecurity faced by some families during the months when children are not in school.

Engaging children in new ways to access, prepare and enjoy foods that are healthy for our bodies and our planet is critical for both the immediate and long term success of our communities. My hope is that after my time at THP, the CO-CSA will continue to provide affordable access to fresh produce for students and families in ways that meet the needs of the Coastside community. I am very grateful for the opportunity THP has afforded me to share my passion for growing healthy humans and supporting a healthy planet!

Kaitlin Begin

Summer 2019

I feel incredibly grateful to have spent the summer working on The Heal Project farm. Growing up in Santa Cruz, I have always been surrounded by people that cared about where their food came from. It is common to grow your own food and share them with friends, family, and neighbors via a dinner party or simply a paper bag left on the doorstep. When I returned to college to get my degree, I realized I wanted to build a career focusing on sharing this knowledge with others so they could have the same experiences I did growing up. The Heal Project was the perfect place to get my foot in the door. 

Naomi, Fiona, Laurel, Amy, and Julie led with a wonderful example of how to teach important environmental lessons to the kids. They are thoughtful in the way that they create lesson plans and how they get the children to engage. Naomi had me create my own lesson plans for summer camp to lead myself. Each week she gave helpful advice on how to improve upon the following weeks, including focusing on smoother transitions and methods of gaining attention and participation. With her helpful guidance, I was able to grow as an educator and create a better experience for the campers. 

In addition to my time interning as an Environmental Educator, I also spent some time doing farm work on the property. As Farm Manager, Fiona created an informative environment for me to learn about sustainable farming and to get my hands dirty. We harvested food for the Farmers Market and distributed compost (generated on the property!) to grow more crops. Spending hours picking strawberries was hard work but being nestled between the Eucalyptus trees and the hills created a magical backdrop that I couldn’t help but feel blessed to be a part of. 

I’m very thankful to have had the opportunity to work alongside these women warriors. My time with the Heal Project taught me that I want to continue down the path of helping other people interact with the food they consume. I’m excited to see what this non-profit accomplishes and I hope to continue to be involved in the future.

Jackie Ahern

Spring 2019

As I write this on my last day in The HEAL Project office, I have nothing but fullness in my heart for what felt like an incredibly short six weeks here. I’m currently a Dietetic Intern at San Francisco State University, nearing the end of a yearlong program interning at hospitals, clinics and offices all to gain experience as an eventual Registered Dietitian.

My time at THP was quite literally a breath of fresh air, split between working on marketing campaigns, helping to plan two major fundraisers and joining in on the occasional dance party in the office with Shannon, Rhiannon and Amy while leading MyPlate lessons on field trips, playing guitar for kids during Mother’s Clubs, and conducting quality assurance observations on the San Mateo County School Farm with Naomi. Every day I was simply amazed by the strength, smarts and tenacity of all the women who make The HEAL Project the incredible organization that it is. They have inspired me to be more creative, to reach higher, to be more curious and to take on big projects in stride.

I previously did not have much experience working with kids, let alone with teaching them about food and nutrition. The educators of THP, Naomi, Julia and Fiona quite literally led by example and gave me tools to effectively connect with and educate children from all backgrounds. It has become very real to me how important it is to teach kids where their food comes from and that yes, in fact, vegetables can taste good! These experiences set them up for a lifetime of health and happiness.

So to sum up my experience here I would say that it has shown me the new and profound way one can impact a community by, in the words of THP, growing healthy kids from the ground up. I’m so thankful for my time at The HEAL Project.

Liz Rodriguez 

Fall 2018

This fall I had the opportunity of interning at The Heal Project through my dietetic internship program at San Francisco State University. The experience I had at the farm was wonderful and full of daily adventures and excitement. While there I learned how to better develop and facilitate nutrition-based lesson plans for children that visited the farm. Likewise, I was able to see all the hard work and dedication involved in operating a program such as The Heal Project. Each team member is passionate about what they do and work very hard to create an atmosphere where children can learn, discover and experience wonder. It was rewarding to be a part of that in some way.

Throughout my few weeks interning at the farm I was given tasks that were tailored to my program. The Farm Programs Manager Naomi took into consideration what I was learning at school and designed projects for me that not only fit the needs of my program but could also be used on the farm in the future. The experience felt very individualized and it was rewarding to know that materials I developed would be used on the farm.

Every day at the farm was a new experience for me and I woke up every day excited to come work. Not only did I get to teach children about agriculture and nutrition, but I was also able to spend time outside and see how the farm brought all things together. As I work to finish my dietetic program and acquire my registered dietitian certification I know that I will take what I learned at The Heal Project wherever I go. It was an unforgettable experience that I feel blessed to have had.

Ellery Rourke

Summer 2018

Coming into this internship after my first year of college, I was unsure which direction I wanted to go with sustainable agriculture. Being an environmental studies major and women’s & gender studies minor, I was really interested in exploring the intersection of farming and social outreach, and The HEAL Project gave me this ability. I am so grateful for how much diverse career exploration I was provided. I had the opportunity to dive into farm-based curriculum development, along with NGO management, organic farming practices, and bee-keeping. Although I worked primarily with the Farm Programs Manager, the entire HEAL staff has supported me throughout my internship, offering their individual expertise and advice about developing a career in agriculture and non-profit work. Because The HEAL Project extends such a wide array of education-focused opportunities in the community for children and adults alike, I never felt limited to just one area of professional development.

As an environmental education intern, I got to play like a kid while strengthening my ability to facilitate lessons. Whether it be cooking Aloo-Gobi, building fairy homes, or looking at compost through microscopes, I learned just as much as my campers. I appreciate how much curiosity and wonder is encouraged at HEAL camp, and have learned a lot about my own educational values for children. Working with The HEAL Project is an equally humbling and uplifting experience in charming Half Moon Bay.

Meghan Walsh 

Summer 2017

Working for The Heal Project was an incredible experience. My internship allowed me to express my passion with photography and video editing, as well as learn a numerous amount of new skills in marketing, database management, and of course working with kids! I had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn all about how THP operates and I was able to bring in my skill set to benefit them in multiple ways. My experience with them was incredible. I worked with a group of amazing people, expanded my knowledge with important life skills, and I was able to work in beautiful Half Moon Bay!

I benefited from this internship simply by having the opportunity to help out with workloads in the office, impacting children’s lives, and expanding my skill set with photography and videography. I learned a lot about Excel, which was super helpful when I took my finance class in college, and I learned more about myself in terms of what kinds of things I like to do an the opportunities I like to take.

A year after my time with THP, I am now working at a similar non-profit in Keystone, Colorado called the Keystone Science School. It is a summer camp that impacts thousands of kids through science, adventure, and fun. My position is the media specialist. I take all the photos and videos taken throughout the week of each camp and put them together for a video for the parents to see. I love working here. Keystone Science School is where I see THP in their future as they continue to grow and impact kids lives. It makes me really excited! I loved working for THP and I am very excited to see what the future holds for this amazing company!

Liz Aldridge

Fall 2017

As a part of my Dietetic Internship with San Francisco State University, I was fortunate to spend several weeks last November as an intern with The HEAL Project. Interning at THP was an educational and rewarding experience. A few highlights include getting to develop and lead several cooking activities for Harvest Camp, compiling seasonal recipes featuring ingredients grown on the farm, and observing the amazing HEAL Project teachers and educators in action. Each one has their own unique teaching style, and I learned so much from each of them. I also enjoyed getting my hands dirty and helping out in the field with planting and harvesting for the farmers' market.

Not only did this internship let me experience farm-based education in action, but I also got to develop my skills as an educator, and learn how nutrition education and hands-on food systems education can be intertwined. I completed the last rotation of my program this June, and I am currently studying for the Registered Dietitian exam and working remotely for an R.D. part-time. I am excited to see where my next steps will lead!