Food and Culinary Literacy Educator 12

Penn State University seeks a full-time Food and Culinary Literacy Educator in Hawaii to facilitate food literacy programming for students. The role involves leading hands-on cooking classes, workshops, and community engagement activities focused on sustainable food systems. The educator will mentor students, coordinate events, and oversee partnerships with community organizations. Remote work approval is not guaranteed, indicating the position is likely not remote.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process.
Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process.
Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.
For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS

The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative at Penn State, University Park, PA, seeks one full-time Food and Culinary Literacy Educator who will facilitate food literacy programming for students to actively engage with the campus and community food system.
This position reports directly to the Associate Director for Farm and Food Systems.


The Sustainable Food Systems Initiative is a cross-institutional sustainability and leadership development initiative of Penn State Student Affairs.
Annually, our programs engage with 40+ academic courses; dozens of community events, tours, and volunteer days; multiple student-led research projects; and 60+ student leaders.
Community partners include groups such as food pantries, community gardens, area non-profits, and local farms.


We are seeking a passionate and experienced Food and Culinary Literacy Educator to lead our food literacy programs for university students.
This role blends culinary and nutrition expertise with education, sustainability, and wellness.
The ideal candidate will inspire students to make informed, healthy, and sustainable food choices through hands-on cooking classes, workshops, and interactive demonstrations, with a strong emphasis on seasonal cooking using produce from our campus farm, reducing food waste, and building lifelong food skills.
The ideal candidate will additionally mentor students to provide peer-to-peer learning and engagement in these areas.


Student Engagement, Education and Outreach Programs Coordinate programming aimed at engaging students in co-curricular activities in sustainable food systems, facilitating partnerships between student organizations and community groups, and for building food systems literacy competence Develop and deliver campus- and community-wide events such as hands-on cooking classes, cooking competitions, guest chef nights, and food-themed wellness fairs to support student and community exploration in food literacy topics; support student leadership and learning in event planning Maintain a safe, clean, and inclusive kitchen learning environment Oversee students in supply chain logistics to recover and redistribute food, especially through co-advising of our campus Food Recovery Network Support internships and immersive experiences on relevant food literacy projects on campus Directly supervise part-time staff in developing, planning, and maintaining community partnerships and learning opportunities for students to engage with the community food system Develop students' leadership skills and support their leadership in the program through peer-to-peer campus and community initiatives, and assist in the recruitment and retention of student leaders Campus Food Systems Support Support student, staff, and faculty connection and organization across departments and units relevant to food literacy; develop and maintain new academic department and student/community organization partnerships tangential to food literacy (i.
e.
, health and wellness; cultural foodways and identity) Lead planning and development of student engagement programming at all institutional levels Ensure equitable access to food systems-related resources and university assets for students across campus Student Intern SupervisionSupervise student interns in work with multiple academic and support units, such as Nutrition or Hospitality Management Facilitate intern tasks and actively connect them to learning objectives and outcomes (cooking event planning, food security project development) Program Marketing and AssessmentProvide support to the program marketing and communications team as needed Track and document relevant programmatic metrics and data Utilize assessments to identify gaps and continuously improve a comprehensive food literacy curriculum tailored to college students Perform other related duties as necessary Manage BudgetsManage programming and events budgets, and event contracts Support students in grant applications, fundraising, and other funding goals Provide recommendations for budgetary projections, allocations, and future needs Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (nutrition, hospitality management, culinary arts, etc.
), credentialed as a Registered Dietitian (RD) with strong culinary skills preferred.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Must be proficient in Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams Experience working with students in youth or college settings, including support for diverse student populations and strong customer service skills Experience developing and leading workshops, courses, or curricula related to food systems, food literacy, and community engagement Exp.