Location: Greensboro,NC, USA
The Food and Built Environment Extension Associate plays a critical role in bridging the gap between communities, food systems, and built environments. This position requires a blend of expertise in agriculture, nutrition, and education. The primary focus is on improving access to healthy food options, promoting sustainable food systems, and creating environments that support healthy living.
Responsibilities associated with this role:
* Community Engagement: Engage with diverse communities to understand their needs and concerns regarding food access and built environments. Build relationships with local stakeholders, including residents, community organizations, policymakers, and businesses.
* Education and Outreach: Deliver educational programs, workshops, and materials on nutrition, agriculture, and sustainable development.
* Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance and support to community organizations, schools, and local governments seeking to implement food-related initiatives, such as community gardens, farmers' markets, and healthy food retail strategies.
* Capacity Building: Build the capacity of community leaders and organizations to address food and built environment issues independently. Provide training, and resources to empower communities to advocate for change and implement solutions.
* Collaboration and Networking: Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of professionals, including public health experts, participate in local and regional networks focused on food systems, public health, and community development.
Primary Function of Organizational Unit
N.C. A&T is a public, land-grant, doctoral research institution and has been the largest historically Black university in the country for the past decade. With an enrollment of 14,311 students in Fall 2024, the university offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 36 master's programs, and 12 doctoral programs. It is America's top producer of Black graduates in Engineering and Agricultural Science bachelor's programs, as well as a top five producer in numerous additional disciplines, including Liberal Arts and Communications/Journalism. It also ranks no. 3 in master's degrees awarded to Black graduates in Engineering Technologies and Related Fields, no. 4 in master's degrees in Engineering, and no. 11 best business school for women in the nation.
Nationally recognized for its leadership and excellence in STEM education and research, N.C. A&T is classified as R2-High Research Activity in the Carnegie Classifications and is poised to achieve R1-Very High Research Activity status. It also holds Carnegie's earned credential in Community Engagement and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation. With an annual economic impact of $2.4 billion, N.C. A&T plays a vital role as a higher-education economic driver in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region and across a state that is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the second straight year as best for business by the CNBC financial network.
Try Healthy (SNAP-Ed) incorporates a multifaceted approach to ensure that nutrition education and obesity prevention services are comprehensive, evidence-based, and accessible across various venues. Try Healthy integrated a diverse range of education strategies and interventions tailored to meet the needs of SNAP-ED participants. The Try Healthy plan prioritizes evidence-based curriculums, practices, and interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting healthy behaviors and preventing obesity. These interventions included nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, healthy recipe development, grocery store tours, community gardening initiatives, physical activity promotion, and policy advocacy for improved food access. By offering a variety of approaches, the plan accommodates different learning styles and preferences among SNAP participants, enhancing the effectiveness of the interventions.
The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is an educational outreach organization within the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Cooperative Extension at A&T provides researched-based educational information, programming and technical assistance to limited-resource audiences that address a diverse range of issues in four programmatic areas - Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, Community and Rural Development, and 4-H Youth Development. Together with its partners - North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and county governments, a dynamic and resourceful system is formed. In addition to campus operations, The Cooperative Extension Program has professionally staffed offices in almost half of the 100 counties in North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. For additional information, please visit (
Work Hours 8:00AM-5:00PM Monday-Friday (occasional weekends as needed) Is this position eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, consistent with university and state policies. On-site (Employees are primarily in the office and/or have a critical job requirement that requires dedicated office space on-site)
Key Responsibilities and Related Competencies
Required Competency Knowledge - Program and Organization Duties
Education and Outreach:
* Deliver educational programs, workshops, and materials on nutrition, agriculture, and sustainable development to diverse communities.
* Tailor outreach efforts to meet the specific needs and demographics of target populations.
* Utilize considerable knowledge of program practices, policies, and procedures to ensure the delivery of high-quality educational content in alignment with organizational goals and standards.
Required Competency Communication - Verbal/Written Duties
Community Engagement and Relationship Building:
* Engage with diverse communities to comprehensively understand their needs and concerns regarding food access and built environments.
* Build strong and trusting relationships with local stakeholders, including residents, community organizations, policymakers, and businesses.
* Facilitate dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities related to food systems and urban development.
Communications Management:
* Effectively communicate with individual work units or the entire organization on program elements related to community engagement and relationship building.
* Update existing communications to reflect community feedback and evolving priorities.
* Disseminate information on community needs, concerns, and collaborative efforts to relevant stakeholders within the broader community.
Required Competency Customer Service Duties
Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance and support to community organizations, schools, and local governments seeking to implement food-related initiatives, such as community gardens, farmers' markets, and healthy food retail strategies
Collaboration and Networking: Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of professionals, including public health experts, to Participate in local and regional networks focused on food systems, public health, and community development
Required Competency Program Administration Duties
Capacity Building: Build the capacity of community leaders and organizations to address food and built environment issues independently. Provide training, and resources to empower communities to advocate for change and implement solutions