NYC Civic Corps Member Position Description

Member Position Title: Community Outreach & Engagement NYC Civic Corps Member
Maximum # of Members Assigned: 1
Sponsoring Organization: NYC Service, Office of the Mayor
Host Site Organization: Teens for Food Justice
Primary Supervisor: Jessenia Preciado Additional Supervisors: Renae Cairns
Primary Service Site: Far Rockaway Educational Campus; 8-21 Beach 25th St, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Additional service sites: Teens for Food Justice Central Office; 33 W 60th Street, Suite 1211, NY, NY 10023
Weekly Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm; up to 1 remote days/week but the member will primarily work on-site at the Far Rockaway Educational Campus Hydroponic Farm.

Member Objectives and Activities September 2026 – June 2027

Goal of the Project:

The mission of Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is to build a food-secure future through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming. We serve students, educators, and community members in underrepresented areas of New York City through hands-on STEM education, food justice training, and youth leadership development.

The goal of the Community Outreach & Engagement Civic Corps Member is to strengthen consistent participation in and connection to TFFJ’s hydroponic farm at the Far Rockaway Educational Campus. The member will conduct outreach to students, teachers, and school partners; support communication and coordination of farm-based programming; assist with the preparation and facilitation of educational workshops and activities; support student leadership opportunities; and help coordinate community-facing events, in collaboration with TFFJ staff and school partners.

Through these activities, the member will contribute to outreach and engagement approaches that can be implemented consistently over time, helping build capacity maintaining high-quality experiences, school leadership, and community connection to the hydroponic farm and program. The member will also support the continued development of on-campus food distribution programs as outreach tools to increase awareness of the hydroponic farm and expand access to fresh, healthy food. These efforts will strengthen the farm’s role as a shared learning and community resource across four co-located schools, serving over 1,700 students.

The ideal candidate is a relationship builder and motivated, community-centered individual with an interest in education, urban agriculture, food systems, or youth development. Candidates must be excited to work directly with youth and be comfortable engaging with stakeholders from all walks of life.

Objective 1: Settle in and learn about the organization, project, and role: Build understanding of TFFJ programs, site conditions, and current engagement practices – TFFJ will introduce the member to staff, programs, and school and community stakeholders relevant to their project goals and provide onboarding and guidance as the member begins their service. The member will be oriented to hydroponic farm operations and educational programming at the Far Rockaway Educational Campus and will observe how programming, outreach, and engagement are currently implemented across the campus. Through observation and supported engagement, the member will build an understanding of how the farm-based programming currently operates in practice, including where consistency is strong and where gaps require additional support from TFFJ staff. This foundation will inform the development of outreach systems and engagement strategies in the following objectives.

Member Activities:

• Meet with TFFJ leadership and school partners to learn about the mission, vision, and operations of the hydroponic farm program
• Establish a regular meeting schedule with supervisor, including weekly one-on-one check-ins
• Review Position Description with supervisor to ensure clarity of responsibilities and make any adjustments
• Tour the Far Rockaway Educational Campus and hydroponic farm and meet key stakeholders including teachers, administrators, students, and community partners
• Review TFFJ program materials, outreach tools, and data systems to understand current programming and engagement strategies
• Observe farm-based classes, activities, and events to understand how programming is delivered and where staff support is required for consistency
• Onboarding may include school building clearance requirements for the Far Rockaway Educational Campus to ensure that Teens for Food Justice complies with Chancellor’s Regulation C-105 as it relates to its role as a non-contracted vendor for NYC Public Schools.

Objective 2: Outreach Plan and Materials – Develop outreach systems to expand participation in farm-based programming. Building on observations from Objective 1, the member will support the development of outreach approaches and materials that increase awareness of and participation in farm-based programming. The member will assist in identifying patterns and barriers related to participation, consistency, and community connection, contributing to outreach approaches that can be used consistently by staff, school partners, or future members. The member will create outreach materials and educational resources that are engaging, culturally responsive, and accessible to different audiences. These efforts will focus on developing repeatable tools and systems that reduce reliance on day-to-day TFFJ staff intervention while maintaining strong community engagement and developing school-level ownership.

Member Activities:

• Identify patterns, challenges, and barriers to participation based on observations and staff and partner input
• Develop outreach materials (flyers, presentations, digital content) for students, teachers, and families
• Plan outreach activities that increase awareness of farm-based programming across the campus
• Support development of simple tools to track outreach activities and participation changes
• Prepare materials and plans for outreach events, informational sessions, and engagement activities

Objective 3: Conduct Outreach Campaign and Expand Sustainably – Implement outreach activities and assess consistency and sustainability of engagement approaches. The member will implement outreach activities and educational workshops designed to increase participation in, and ownership of, farm-based programming. The member will focus on ensuring programming is accessible, well-attended, and consistently delivered. The member will observe and document which outreach approaches can be maintained consistently within the capacity of the school community. This objective will focus on testing and refining engagement strategies to identify what is both effective and sustainable for TFFJ partners and key stakeholders.

Member Activities:

• Conduct outreach activities within the school community, including tabling, classroom visits, and informational sessions
• Facilitate workshops and educational activities introducing hydroponics, food systems, and food justice concepts
• Coordinate and implement community-facing events connected to the hydroponic farm
• Support outreach and engagement efforts connected to on-campus food distribution activities
• Collect and track participation and feedback data from outreach activities and workshops
• Adapt outreach strategies and materials based on feedback and participation trends

Objective 4: Strengthen School and Community Capacity – The member will build the capacity of teachers, school staff, and students to take meaningful ownership over the hydroponic farm as an educational and community resource. This includes organizing resources, supporting training opportunities, and reinforcing practices that empower school community members to engage with and sustain farm-based programming over time, ensuring its long-term role as a living classroom and food hub. This objective will focus on knowledge transfer and skill-building, helping to reduce reliance on TFFJ staff for routine engagement activities while maintaining high-quality student experiences.

Member Activities:

• Develop and organize teacher-facing resources that support integration of the hydroponic farm into educational instruction
• Create accessible educational materials and resource guides for students and families about healthy eating, food access, and urban agriculture
• Coordinate training sessions for teachers, school staff, and students
• Organize and maintain shared resources that support ongoing school engagement with the hydroponic farm and its programs
• Document practices and tools that support consistent engagement during the service term

Objective 5: Project Closeout and ensuring sustainability – The member will develop recommendations for a sustainability and transition plan to ensure that outreach, engagement, and programming efforts can continue beyond the service term, with a focus on school-based ownership. Working closely with their supervisor, the member will document key processes, relationships, and tools developed throughout the year, including notes on successes and challenges faced. The member will also identify which outreach and engagement strategies they think can be sustained by school stakeholders and which require ongoing TFFJ staff support. This objective will help inform future program design and contribute to the development of sustainable, site-appropriate engagement models that support meaningful student experiences, safe and consistent food production and access, and community connection.

Member Activities:

• Meet regularly with supervisor in the final quarter of the service term to support development of a sustainability and transition plan
• Create a transition document outlining outreach processes, materials, tools, and key contacts, updating internal resources, such as TFFJ’s Airtable database, where appropriate
• Communicate with school and community partners to ensure relationship continuity
• Compile final data and impact summary reflecting outreach activities, workshop participation, and community engagement metrics over the service year
• With supervisor, identify effective outreach strategies and surface ongoing challenges to help inform future program planning

Member Recruitment

Recruitment call to action: Join us and help grow a more food-secure future in Far Rockaway by strengthening food access, supporting youth leadership, and building community engagement around the first-ever youth-led hydroponic farming hub in Queens!

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with students, educators, and community members from all walks of life (required)
• Experience or strong interest in community outreach, youth engagement, education, or food systems work (preferred)
• Experience facilitating workshops, trainings, or educational programming for youth or community audiences (preferred)
• Ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic school and community environment with many stakeholders (preferred)
• Comfortable with data collection, tracking, and basic analysis to evaluate outreach and program efforts (appreciated)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish (appreciated)

Skill Development:

• Communication & Professional Expression and Relationship-Building
• Collaboration & Team Dynamics
• Initiative, Ownership, & Follow-Through

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Benefits:
• $24,500 Stipend (Pre-Tax)
• $5,176 Education Award
• Transportation Benefits
• Professional Development:
Training, Networking,
Support, and More!

Interested? Visit the City Corps application site to create a profile and apply! You’ll find us by filtering for Borough: Queens and Organization Type: Nonprofit. Applications close on July 26, and the opportunity starts in September.

Create a profile and apply here:
https://corps.nycservice.org/