TITLE: Nutrition Intern – General Dietetics Practicum (Community Nutrition, Food Service Management, or Clinical)
PRECEPTOR: Ashleigh Fabian, Nutrition and Dietetics
GENERAL SUMMARY: Under the leadership/coaching of the Preceptor, interns are responsible for completing the number of supervised Practicum hours determined by their institution of higher learning. Cornerstone will provide a Preceptor, staff mentors, training and partner/client contact as indicated by Practicum experiences designed to help interns meet the requirements of their Practicum. Cornerstone’s Practicum experiences will focus on working with childcare centers serving children living below the poverty level and access to nutritious food in food dessert areas. In addition, Cornerstone will utilize interns to participate in tasks related to the daily care and implementation of programing related to our work with childcare centers in 5 counties participating under our sponsorship of the Child Care Food Program, partners in our Community Garden Movement Program and our Rosa Valdez Early Learning Center and Lab School.
PRINCIPAL CRITERIA and STANDARDS FOR PERFORMANCE:
- Student must be actively enrolled in a degree seeking AA or BA Nutrition or Health related Program at an accredited college or university and must provide proof of enrollment.
- Student has compassion for at-risk communities, especially children, families and childcare center partners that serve at-risk children, ensuring that their health and nutrition needs are met with dignity and respect.
- Student is able to develop and maintain positive relationships with peers, CFM staff, CFM clients, and CFM partners.
- Student demonstrates an understanding and supports Cornerstone’s mission, vision, guiding values, policies, and procedures.
- Student cooperates with Preceptor and other staff professionals to meet the agreed upon Practicum goals.
- Student is punctual, adhering to a mutually agreed upon schedule and attends meetings and significant events related to the Practicum experiences selected below.
- Student performs additional related duties as required.
CUSTOMIZATION OF YOUR PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE
For your Practicum, experience please select as many areas of interest as you would like from any of the Practicum experiences below. The experiences are only grouped as a guide and can be mixed based on your interest. We will create a customized rotation for you based on your selections.
General Practicum Experiences (part of all Practicum tracks):
- Understanding Children and Infant Nutrition and the FL Department of Health Child Care Nutrition Program
- Data Collection for Program Outcome Measurement
- Understanding Cornerstone’s Network of Child Care Centers and Nutrition Programing
- Building Community Partnerships and Recruiting Volunteers
- Coordination around Nutrition Activities
Practicum Track I: Community Nutrition Practicum Experiences:
- Organic Community Gardening (producing sustainable food, food access, food distribution, and health knowledge)
- Community Garden Community Building (includes marketing and community engagement strategies)
- Cooking With Kids Food Experiences
- Community Garden Field Trips
- Cornerstone Garden Movement Member Support, Data Collection, and Technical Assistance (some travel required, mileage paid)
Practicum Track II: Food Service Practicum Experiences:
- Child Care Food Program Standards and Requirements
- Meal Pattern and Menu Planning
- Food Preparation and Serving (including health and safety standards)
- Qualifying Families and Children for the Child Care Food Program
- Monitoring Compliance of the Child Care Food Program out in the field
Practicum Track III: Clinical Practicum Experiences:
- Child Care Center Child Health Checks
- Alternate Meal Planning/Food Modifications to Menus
- Health Plan Monitoring for a specific staff member, child, and/or family member of a child during the Practicum
- Recipe research around doctor recommendations for alternate meal plan requirements
KNOWLEDGE, SPECIAL SKILLS, PHYSICAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS – REQUIRED OF ALL STUDENTS:
- Must have Safe Serve Certification
- Must be able to pass a Criminal Background Check – i.e. No past felony charges
- Demonstrates knowledge of nutrition and health.
- Ability to lift up to 40 lbs.
- Must commit to a regular schedule equivalent to 2 full-time days per week for 10-12 weeks to meet the Practicum requirements.
SERVICE EXCELLENCE STANDARDS:
- Maintains standards required by licensing, program and funding entities.
- Exhibits total commitment to maintaining high quality service standards of CFM.
- Will demonstrate service excellence skills that deal proactively with staff, clients, customers and volunteers.
The above statements are intended to describe the principal criteria and performance standards. If you have any questions, please discuss with your preceptor. Your final performance will be detailed on the student evaluation at the end of your Practicum.