Healthy Futures AmeriCorps places service members across rural Colorado to support programs working for a healthy future for all. This includes focuses on nutrition and education, community and school gardens, regenerative agriculture practices & increased access to healthy food.
WHAT IS AMERICORPS?
BUILD YOUR BRIDGE FROM COLLEGE TO CAREERS IN FOOD SYSTEMS
Hands-on experience is what employers are looking for. Join us for a season or up to two full years of service, where you’ll be mentored by industry professionals and gain the hands-on experience building and sustaining healthy communities you need to launch your food systems career.
We partner with 7 different food systems organizations around Southwest Colorado to offer you a wide variety of service locations and positions. Check out the different organizations below.
AMERICORPS SERVICE POSITIONS
Positions are open until filled
Local Education Initiatives
Local Education Initiatives encompass a range of roles aimed at engaging communities, fostering relationships, and enhancing educational opportunities. Within this category, positions such as Community Outreach and Farm to School Educators play crucial roles in connecting individuals with resources, knowledge, and experiences that promote learning and community involvement. These initiatives prioritize bridging gaps in education, whether through hands-on lessons or outreach efforts that bring people together for meaningful engagement.
Mountain Roots Food Project: Farm to School Environmental Educator - Gunnison, CO
Start Dates: January 2027
Term Length Option: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Full term - one year)
Farm to School Environmental Educators will teach environmental & nutrition education lessons in K-5 classrooms, lead after-school and summer programs, and support school garden initiatives for K-12 students. Engage in community outreach, build partnerships, and participate in all aspects of food systems education, including regenerative agriculture, nature, and community food security.Mountain Roots Food Project: Farm to School Environmental Educator - Gunnison, CO
Start Dates: May 17th
Term Length Option: Full time - 40 hrs/week (One quarter term - SUMMER ONLY)
Farm to School Environmental Educators will teach environmental & nutrition education lessons in K-5 classrooms, lead after-school and summer programs, and support school garden initiatives for K-12 students. Engage in community outreach, build partnerships, and participate in all aspects of food systems education, including regenerative agriculture, nature, and community food security.San Luis Valley Local Food Coalition: Education Assistant - Alamosa, Colorado
Start Dates: January 2027
Term Length Option: Part time - 24 hrs/week (Three quarter term)
The San Luis Valley Local Food Coalition, Rio Grande Farm Park Education Assistant supports outdoor, environmental, and regenerative farming programs for youth and adults in the San Luis Valley. The role helps lead school and summer activities, coordinates community learning events, and creates educational content for video, web, and social media.Guidestone Colorado: Ranch & Homestead Experiential Educator - Salida, Colorado
Start Dates: March 2027
Term Length Option: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Three quarter term - GROWING SEASON ONLY)
Guidestone’s Ranch & Homestead Experiential Educator leads hands-on youth programs at the Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center. The role brings local agriculture, ranching history, traditional skills, and the arts to life through lessons and community events. Educators can also help shape new activities and gain experience in farm and ranch production.
Nutrition and Food Access Programs
Nutrition and Food Access Programs focus on addressing food security and promoting healthy eating habits within communities. Roles like the Food Security Coordinator are dedicated to coordinating efforts to ensure access to nutritious food through initiatives such as food rescue, cooking classes, and community gardens. By prioritizing collaborative approaches and tailored solutions, these programs aim to alleviate food insecurity and empower individuals to make informed choices about their nutrition.
Mountain Roots Food Project: Community Food Systems Coordinator - Gunnison, CO
Start Dates: January 2027
Term Length Options: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Full term - one year)
Food Security Coordinators help Gunnison Valley households access fresh, nutritious food through weekly produce distributions, food rescue, community gardens, and cooking classes. They support local food purchasing and build relationships with underserved communities. Members also receive mentorship and develop skills in outreach, food distribution, and community engagement.Mountain Roots Food Project: Community Food Systems Coordinator - Gunnison, CO
Start Dates: March 2027
Term Length Options: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Three quarter term - GROWING SEASON ONLY)
Food Security Coordinators help Gunnison Valley households access fresh, nutritious food through weekly distributions, food rescue, community gardens, and cooking classes. They also support local food purchasing and outreach while gaining hands-on experience and mentorship in food security and community engagement.
Agricultural Programs
Agricultural Programs center around regenerative land use practices, agricultural production, and land access initiatives. Positions like Community Farm and Garden Production and Land Access and Succession Coordinator are fostering regenerative farming practices, promoting access to land for agricultural purposes, and providing support to farmers and landowners. Through innovative solutions and educational resources, these programs contribute to the preservation of natural resources while supporting the viability of agriculture in rural communities.
Guidestone Colorado: Farm Production Manager - Salida, Colorado
Start Dates: March 2027
Term Length Options: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Three quarter term - GROWING SEASON ONLY)
Guidestone’s Farm Production Manager leads crop production at the Community & School Farm in Salida, from greenhouse starts and field preparation to planting, cultivation, and harvest. The role guides volunteers, helps maintain a welcoming community farm, and supports local food outreach.Mountain Roots & Gunnison Gardens: Beginner Farmer Training Apprenticeship - Gunnison, Colorado
Start Dates: February 2027
Term Length Options: Full time - 40 hrs/week (Two-year term)
In this 22-month Registered Apprenticeship, you’ll learn the foundations of small-scale regenerative farming in Colorado’s challenging high-altitude climate. You’ll gain hands-on experience at Gunnison Gardens, a four-acre diversified farm, as well as a community farm, community gardens, and Mountain Roots’ four hydroponic container farms.The program spans two full growing seasons, giving you time to build your skills, learn through observation, and take on greater responsibility. Three new apprentices join each year, creating a supportive environment where newer apprentices can learn from those further along in the program.
Our positions have multiple start dates throughout the year, typically January, March, and May. A one-year service term is most common, however we do have shorter terms, such as “summer only,” and longer terms up to 2 years.
Member Terms & Benefits for Service
You don’t pay tuition or fees for the world of knowledge and experience you’re going to gain during your year of service. But we know you need to live, and to have space for outside-of-work experiences that are fun and fulfilling as well. While you’re in service, you’ll get a living allowance that covers your room and board, and after your service, you’ll get a cash education award that can be applied to pay back your federal student loans, to pay for grad school or other continuing education, including trip-based programs like NOLS and Outward Bound. Read more on the education award here.
Other benefits include:
attendance at 1-2 regional conferences, like the Western Colorado Soil, Food and Farm Forum, Regenerate, or Agrisummit.
two, 2-day expense-paid field trips, to locations around the region to broaden your food systems experience
$100 allowance toward professional development / training of your choice
All sites currently subsidized housing options to further offset the cost of housing
some sites offer ski passes, rec center passes, gas cards, and other discounts to local community services
certifications in first aid and safe food handler, some sites offer more
student loans go into forbearance and the interest is paid
child care and health care coverage for members serving Full Term (1700 hours)
What’s in it for You?
Placement in top Colorado organizations. Healthy Futures AmeriCorps Program places our members in top food systems organizations in Central and Western Colorado to implement and expand community services.
Leadership, mentored by leading industry professionals. Our positions provide unparalleled opportunity for a higher level of responsibility and agency than typical entry-level positions, with the support of a mentor who is invested in your success.
Change the world. Localizing food systems is arguably the best solution we have to combatting so many of our global problems. We need more motivated leaders to challenge the status quo and then mobilize others to do so.
Make a lasting difference in the lives of others. While you’re gaining experience through a meaningful service, the real-world solutions you create are transforming rural Colorado communities.
Professional development and personal growth. Build lasting relationships, expand your professional network in education, agriculture, and food security, and provide excellent professional development experience, and add to a compelling resume for your career.
Transformative life experience. Looking back, our members all say that their service terms were pivotal periods of their lives that prepared them for or launched them into the next chapter of their life.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Agency of AmeriCorps under
Grant No. 21AFDCO0010007. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official position of or a position that is endorsed by Serve CO.
