Community, Healthcare, Higher Ed Collaboration to Improve Community Food Security

CCE Schuyler seeks a summer intern to support the development of a new collaboration between CCE Schuyler, Schuyler Hospital, and the Figueroa Interdisciplinary Group (FIG) Lab at Cornell University. This collaboration aims to establish a “food farmacy” that distributes locally grown produce to community members experiencing food insecurity. In addition to creating new opportunities to access healthy food in a hospital and primary care setting, this collaborative project will also assist community members in navigating and connecting with a range of community resources to address food security and other social determinants of health. By strengthening linkages between Cornell, Schuyler Hospital, CCE Schuyler, and other community-based organizations, the 2024 CCE Schuyler summer intern will contribute to the long-term impact that these organizations collectively seek for the communities they serve – to eliminate disparities in health and in the determinants of health that adversely affect excluded or marginalized groups.

Roles and responsibilities 

  • Participate in meetings with the internship partners (CCE Schuyler, Schuyler Hospital, the FIG Lab) and their community partners (e.g., Schuyler County Public Health and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier) to learn about each organization’s goals, strengths, and assets
  • Clarify and document shared goals between CCE Schuyler, Schuyler Hospital, the FIG Lab, and their community partners as they relate to Schuyler County’s community health needs
  • Identify opportunities to leverage the unique strengths and assets of the internship and community partners to achieve shared goals
  • Research examples of successful partnerships between healthcare, higher ed, and community-based organizations to improve access to healthy food and/or assist community members in navigating and connecting with community resources to address food security and other social determinants of health
  • Plan and implement activities that strengthen linkages between Schuyler Hospital’s Food Farmacy and social needs screening and referral program, CCE Schuyler, the FIG Lab, and other community partners

Qualifications and previous coursework

This opportunity is available to students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and members of CCHEq. 

  • Students with previous coursework in health equity, the social determinants of health, and/or cross-sector collaboration are strongly encouraged to apply
  • We especially encourage students who identify as members of populations who have been historically and structurally excluded/ underrepresented to apply
  • The selected intern will be required to drive on behalf of the summer project and will need to have reliable transportation

Learning outcomes 

By the end of the internship, the student intern will be able to:

  • Use a Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan to identify health disparities and obstacles to health among excluded and marginalized groups
  • Evaluate cross-organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to achieving health equity
  • Justify planned activities based local and national data
  • Create a sustainability plan