Student Intern - Nutrition Incentive Programs

Mid-America Regional Council•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

This position will work with Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) on the implementation of two healthy food incentive programs: Double Up Food Bucks and KC Fresh Rx. Double Up Food Bucks is a healthy food incentive program for people who receive SNAP (food assistance) benefits. The program increases access to fresh fruits and vegetables by matching SNAP dollars spent at participating local grocery stores, farmers markets, farm stands and mobile markets in Kansas and Missouri. The program has been offered to SNAP shoppers since 2015. KC Fresh Rx is a produce prescription program in the Kansas City area. Clinics refer Medicaid patients who a) are at risk for, or have been diagnosed with, a diet-related disease and b) who have experienced food insecurity in the past year. For 6 months, the participants receive nutrition education and financial incentives that can be used to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables. This internship will help support the implementation of both healthy food programs through outreach and education related to the nutrition incentive programs implemented by MARC. The intern will also support projects that a) further develop the nutrition incentive programs, and b) provide greater understanding of the impact of the programs, and/or c) provide understanding of the potential impacts of recent policy changes. This internship is expected to run approximately 12 weeks, from June 2026-August 2026, with the possibility of extension into the fall semester depending on candidate interest and program funding availability. Candidates must be available for at least 15 hours of work a week, with weekend and evening availability for events and outreach as necessary.

Requirements

Strong oral and written communications skills, including excellent grammar and spelling.
Ability to manage multiple projects under deadlines.
Ability to research, integrate, analyze, and interpret data from various sources to produce information and reports.
Ability to present your analysis both in writing and verbally.
Strong interpersonal and public speaking skills to effectively interact with internal staff, governmental bodies, private companies, general public, and outside organizations.
Strong computer skills using spreadsheets and word processing software.
Must be located within Kansas or Missouri, with preference given to Kansas City applicants.
All candidates must be able to travel to outreach events across Missouri and / or Kansas.
Travel will be limited to a reasonable distance from the candidate’s primary location.
Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student, or a recent graduate (past six months) of a bachelor’s or master’s level program.
Education or past work experience in public health, foods systems planning, social work, or a related field.
Valid driver’s license.
Reliable consistent access to transportation for visiting partner sites is required.

Nice To Haves

Videography or graphic design experience is preferred, but not required.
Experience in nutrition public health programming

Responsibilities

Creating resources to support program development, and implementation of each program. This may include developing videos, creating signs, planning participant activities, etc.
Conducting data analysis to understand program trends, outcomes, and impact, including reviewing historical program data and analyzing projected effects of SNAP policy changes.
Assisting with education and promotion activities for MARC’s nutrition incentive programs, such as distributing promotion materials to community partners, delivering presentations, staffing outreach tables, helping plan a Double Up Food Bucks tour for legislators, etc.