Instructors

• Description: Hold 8-weekly pre-designed nutrition lessons for students from grades pre-K to 5 in the Chinese American community
• Dates: Week of February 23 to May 4. Flexible in the week; 45-60 minutes lessons (usually 2 in a day each week) between 2:30 -5:30 pm
• Location: Flushing, Chinatown, or Brooklyn
• Duties & Responsibilities Include:
  • Commuting to public school sites to facilitate nutrition education lessons
  • Reviewing lesson plans and teaching materials before lessons, and preparing any necessary materials needed for the lesson for the week
  • Communicating with supervisors and/or main instructors with relevant feedback, questions, and/or concerns regarding lesson flow and preparation
• Qualification & Requirement:
  • Commit to at least six lessons (required to attend the first and last lesson)
  • Effective and efficient communicator
  • Motivated to learn and receptive to feedback
  • Works well with children (highly recommended)
  • Has knowledge in nutrition/education (preferred, but not required)
  • Preferred Chinese speaker (Cantonese/Mandarin), but not required
• What will you get from the experience
  • Teach & Learn Together – Gain hands-on experience leading nutrition lessons for students and parents in the Chinese American community.
  • Guided Support – You’ll always have an immediate contact person to guide you and answer questions along the way.
  • Work with Kids – Build meaningful connections with children while helping them celebrate food, culture, and healthy habits.
  • Discover Community – Learn directly from families and immerse yourself in the unique cultural fabric of New York City.
  • Be Part of CHIFAN – Join a welcoming network of volunteers, interns, educators, and community members who share your passion for health, food, and culture.

Curriculum Developers

• Description: Participate in meetings and revise lesson plans, assessment tools, and parent handouts for elementary school students with our theory-based framework
• Dates: Weekly meeting
• Location: hybrid (remote meetings, required to participate in at least one in-person lesson at one of our sites)
• Approximately workload: 2-3 hours weekly
• Duties & Responsibilities Include:
  • Participate in weekly curriculum development meetings to support planning, alignment, and continuous improvement
  • Review, evaluate, and refine lesson plans, instructional slides, student assessment tools, and bilingual parent handouts to ensure educational quality and consistency
  • Collaborate closely with instructors and cross-functional team members to revise curriculum materials based on instructional reflections, classroom feedback, and program goals
• Qualification & Requirement:
  • Effective and efficient communicator
  • Work well with a team
  • Required to participate in at least one in-person lesson at one of our sites in Chinatown.
  • Has experience teaching kids on-site (preferred but not required)
  • Knowledge of Chinese culture (preferred but not required)
  • Reading Chinese (preferred but not required)
• What will you get from the experience
  • Deepen Nutrition Knowledge – Explore key nutrition concepts while creating lessons that make healthy eating fun and accessible.
  • Hands-On Curriculum Design – Gain practical experience in developing age-appropriate, engaging educational materials.
  • Collaborative Teamwork – Work closely with fellow interns and staff, building skills in communication and collaboration.
  • Grow with CHIFAN – Be part of a supportive community that values cultural heritage, creativity, and shared learning.

Research Assistants

• Description: Assist the Research Director with literature review, abstract/manuscript drafting, and data analysis of questionnaire data
• Dates: Flexible meeting times. 3-4 team meetings during the semester, with one individual check-in meeting mid-semester (more meetings can be scheduled, subject to intern's desire and availability)
• Location: Remote
• Approximate workload: 1-2 hours weekly
• Duties & Responsibilities Include:
  • Assist in literature review regarding current nutrition education initiatives and their potential associations with acculturation due to a lack of cultural relevance in nutrition education
  • Assist in writing abstracts for submission to conferences, as well as formatting a poster if the abstract is accepted
  • Assist in drafting manuscript(s) for potential journal submission (please note that publication is not guaranteed during the internship time period)
  • Perform data analysis regarding pre- and post-program questionnaire data from previous and/or current semester
• Qualification & Requirement:
  • Attend all Research Team meetings and individual check-in meetings unless prior notice is given and absence is approved
  • Effective and efficient communicator
  • Motivated to learn and receptive to feedback
  • Data analytics background with experience in using data analysis platforms or languages such as SPSS, Stata, R, etc (highly preferred)
  • Has knowledge in nutrition/education (preferred, but not required)
• What will you get from the experience
  • Hone Skills in Research – Gain hands-on experience in conducting literature reviews, scientific writing, and performing data analysis.
  • Research Presentations and Publications – Depending on abstracts accepted, you may have a chance to present at one or more conferences during the year. Interns may also be included on the author list for accepted abstracts/manuscripts.
  • Collaborative Teamwork – Work closely with fellow interns and staff, building skills in communication and collaboration.
  • Be Part of CHIFAN – Join a welcoming network of volunteers, interns, educators, and community members who share your passion for health, food, and culture.