Policy & Programming Internship

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Food Well Alliance (FWA) is a collaborative network of local leaders working together to build equitable and thriving community gardens, urban farms, and orchards across metro Atlanta. FWA's mission is to provide resources and support to local growers to connect and build healthier communities. Our vision is an Atlanta that is locally grown and community connected.

FWA was founded in 2015 when Jim Kennedy, chair of Cox Enterprises, and Bill Bolling, founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, had an idea to build healthier communities across metro Atlanta by connecting and supporting members of our local food movement. Today, we support more than 300 gardens, farms and orchards in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton counties. We advance our mission in three key ways:

• Grower Resources. We provide essential tools for success. That can be anything from technical assistance to training, tractor support, grants, labor teams, volunteers, compost, seedlings, and more.
• Local Food System Planning - Each year, we work with the Atlanta Regional Commission to bring together policymakers, residents, growers, and community leaders to plan for the future of locally grown food in selected cities.
• Community Education – We offer learning experiences for all ages and skill levels—from outdoor events to volunteer opportunities, and workshops on topics like soil health, gardening, and composting.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Food Well Alliance is seeking a Policy and Programming intern to support the Farmer Resources Survey data analysis & upcoming Local Food System community engagement data collection. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to research benefiting the organization as a whole. The intern will be responsible for supporting project duties including data mining of previously collected data, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and assisting with Local Food System Planning and Grower Resources programming support as needed.

This position is ideal for someone who is looking to gain experience in a nonprofit setting, looking to grow their data analysis skills, and has knowledge or interest in Atlanta's local food movement.

WEEKLY HOURS & LOCATION

This is a hybrid position with flexible remote or onsite work at our offices located at 970 Jefferson St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. We expect this internship to be approximately 250-300 hours, taking place from January to mid-April to align with the spring semester. The preferred start date is January 11, 2026. Interns will be paid at a rate of $20 per hour.

WEEKLY WORK PLAN

Interns will have a weekly meeting with their supervisors, with the ability to join team-wide meetings on a weekly basis depending on their availability. During meetings they will check-in on their progress, troubleshoot any bottlenecks, and report on their plan for the upcoming week. This is also an opportunity for interns to receive feedback on their work and receive mentorship from FWA team members.

ACTION ITEMS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Grants & Resources Manager and Policy & Community Engagement Manager, the Policy & Programming intern will:

• Assist with collecting Farmer survey responses and supplemental interviews as needed.
• Assist with exploratory analysis of survey data.
• Conduct secondary analysis of previous farmer grant data for usage in conjunction with survey data.
• Provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of interview data, pulling out notable trends, major themes, sub-themes, and corresponding evidence to produce initial findings.
• Produce a high-level document to share back with participants stating the analysis methodology, findings, and potential outcomes from the research.
• Collaborate with the Resource Center Team on suggestions for organizational programmatic improvements.
• Assist with Community Engagement evidence and design alongside the Policy and Planning team for the upcoming Local Food System Planning cycle.
• Assist in the inaugural convening of the Atlanta Region Food System Network as needed.

ONBOARDING & OUTCOMES

• Intern will receive onboarding in which they will receive in-depth background information about the organization, research goals, desired outcomes, and process to date.
• Intern will grow their data analysis skills through practical work opportunities. Assistance and training will be provided as needed on relevant software.
• Intern will grow analytical writing skills for diverse audiences.
• Opportunity to work as part of a research team in a nonprofit setting.
• The intern will have the opportunity to engage with the Local Food System Planning program by attending summer Steering Committee meetings if desired.

SKILLS & ITEMS NEEDED

• Qualitative analysis skills desired; opportunity to grow these skills.
• Some quantitative analysis experience.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical mindset.
• Strong writing skills.
• Ability to work remotely, at our 970 Jefferson Street office, and occasionally offsite.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors, as assigned.
• Appropriate dress, including business casual in the office and at events and protective and weather-appropriate clothes at grower sites.
• Reliable transportation to work.
• Access to a laptop is preferred, but we can accommodate if needed.

DIVERSE CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Food Well Alliance is an equal opportunity employer. We are a community that is proud to represent different racial, socio-economic, gender, and other identities. Our diversity as a community is our strength, driving our ability to be empathetic, visionary, and effective leaders in the local food movement and our city.

HOW TO APPLY

Please use this form to submit a cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled or until December 7, 2026 by 5 PM.

Cover letters should be addressed to Emma Hugonnet, Policy and Community Engagement Manager, and Kalia Hamil, Grants & Resources Manager.

To complete the form, you will need to log into a Google account. If you don't have a Google account or are unable to submit your application via the form, please email jobs@foodwellalliance.org for assistance and include "Policy and Programming Intern_Last Name" in the email subject line.