MMC Experiential Learning Opportunities

Support CSUN student-athletes, CSUN community (students, faculty, and staff), and health enthusiast achieve optimal health and fitness goals by providing in person health assessments using the MMC BOD POD/body composition system. 

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Assisting with Team talks/Presentations for student-athletes and coaches. 
• Supporting practice and in-game nutrition support experience for various teams.
• Conducting sports nutrition research regarding diets, hydration protocol, and supplementation strategies to optimize performance. 
• Creating content for social media focused on sports nutrition education. 
• Shadowing one-on-one sports nutrition consultations (as opportunities arise). 
• Managing operations at the fuel station. 
• Receiving training and gaining experience with body composition tools such as BOD POD and InBody.

The El Nido Farmers Market in Pacoima, California is a community-based market that provides access to fresh, affordable produce and health-focused resources for local families. It serves as a platform for community engagement, where organizations like the MMC offer nutrition education, wellness activities, and interactive demonstrations to support healthy lifestyles. 

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Delivering in-person nutrition education at the MMC Booth at El Nido Farmers Market in Pacoima, CA (Saturdays; must be able to commute off-campus).
• Providing educational outreach in partnership with community organizations and university programs.
• Covering a range of nutrition topics, including healthy eating for diabetes prevention and management.
• Developing educational materials such as handouts, flyers, PowerPoint presentations, and digital content (e.g. recorded workshops, food demonstrations, social media posts).
• Assisting in or leading live, interactive food demos and workshops that encourage hands-on learning.
• (Preferred) Communicating with Spanish-speaking community members—Spanish proficiency is helpful but not required.

The Cultivating Wellness through Gardens experiential learning opportunity provides fellows with hands-on opportunities to sustainable develop gardening skills and environmental stewardship. Fellows will support the MMC Wellness and Smart Garden, learning agroecology practices that grow food while promoting ecological wellness, facilitating initiatives and projects that promote community wellness, and gaining hands-on experience with innovative soil-less farming techniques by supporting the MMC's research into hydroponic and aquaponic plant cultivation. The program also includes collaboration with the Whole Kids Gardening Program at a local elementary school, offering off-campus experiences in garden-based education. 

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Gaining hands-on experience with agroecology strategies and aqua/hydroponics through support of the MMC Wellness and SMART Garden, and through a structured course called the Healthy Growers Training.

• Conducting garden activities and supporting research projects by maintaining experimental plots, collecting data, and performing nutrient analysis.   

• Providing education on best sustainable gardening practices for urban areas, including ecological garden design, regenerative soil management, natural farming, small-space composting strategies, water conservation, native plants, seed saving, pesticide-free integrated pest management, climate-resilient growing practices, and vertical farming.
• Creating educational materials such as handouts, flyers, social media content, and PowerPoint presentations. 
• Hosting garden demonstration and workshops (live or recorded).
• Supporting marketing and outreach efforts for events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities by tabling at the CSUN Farmer's Market and distributing promotional materials.
• Participating in activities with the Whole Kids Gardening Program at a local elementary school (must be willing to travel off-campus).

Track A (Food Science):  Provide education on food science topics related to quality assurance, product development, and sensory sciences. Interns may gain cooperative research and practical experience through participation in activities such as antioxidant experiments, honey harvesting, and the development of food products to be sold on the MMC website. Additional tasks may include creating educational handouts, flyers, PowerPoint presentations, and/or hosting food demos and workshops—either live or recorded.
Pre-Req: Completed or currently enrolled in FCS 201.

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Providing education on food science topics, including food safety and processing. 
• Supporting the development of food products for potential sale on the MMC website. 
• Creating educational materials such as handouts, flyers, and PowerPoint presentations.
• Hosting or assisting with food demonstrations and workshops (live or recorded).

Track B (Culinary):  Support culinary experiences hosted by the MMC aimed at educating and fostering a deeper appreciation for cooking and connection with food. Tasks may include developing recipes, drafting kitchen protocols, creating educational materials, and/or assisting with food demonstrations and workshops—delivered either live or recorded.
Pre-Req: Culinary Arts Associate Degree, Culinary Certificate, or C-CAP graduate preferred.

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Supporting culinary education experiences hosted by the MMC.
• Creating recipes, protocols, and other instructional culinary materials. 
• Developing educational content such as flyers, handouts, and presentations. 
• Hosting or assisting with food demonstrations and workshops (live or recorded).

The "Let's Cook, Move, and Grow Healthy Program” provides outreach to largely underserved and low-income communities in the West San Fernando Valley through fun and engaging activities and lessons. This program aims to increase nutrition knowledge, healthy eating behaviors, and daily physical activity opportunities for students and their families through the Taste of Good Health, My Plate Musical, and sprouting at home curriculum.  

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Provide in person education in collaboration with campus and community partners. Education includes various nutrition topics such as healthy eating for diabetes management and prevention, weight management, children and family nutrition, general nutrition. 
• Creating educational materials, including handouts, flyers, PowerPoint presentations, and online content (e.g. recorded workshops/food demos, social media content). 
• Maybe involved in hosting live, interactive food demonstrations and workshops that engage participants in practical, hands-on learning.
• Participating in gardening program at school through sprouting at home curriculum. 
• Participating in the My Plate Musical in Spring semester.
• Participating in tabling events with community partners to raise awareness of programming and offerings with LCMG and MMC.

The Tea Haven project is to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for our students by creating a sustainable, no-cost, innovative wellness experience (fusing teas and art) in response to the pandemic. From soup to nuts, The Tea Haven Project will harvest, brew, and serve sustainable teas and offer creative arts activities to combat stress. 

As a fellow, you will participate in: 

• Create nutrition education 
• Assisting with growing/harvesting tea, and tea product development. 
• Collecting/designing Qualtrics surveys, data collection, analysis, and help with data presentation. 
• Attending meetings and workshops, create and distribute educational and/or marketing materials, serve tea, recruit, present of data at CSUNposium, and other administrative duties.

The Lab School experiential learning program, based at the Child and Family Studies Center (CFSC), offers fellows hands-on experience in early childhood education. Fellows work directly with preschool aged children in a NAEYC-accredited setting that emphasizes whole-child development-cognitive, social, emotional, physical and creative. CFSC collaborates with multiple departments on the CSUN campus including the MMC, which supports snack preparation for the children and provides nutrition education to Lab School parents. 

As a fellow, you will participate in:

• Help create weekly snack menus. 
• Participate in snack preparation and service (9:30 am –11:30 am).
• Grocery Shopping
• You will be practicing proper kitchen hygiene/sanitation, food prep, clean-up, menu planning, and newsletter writing. Fellows are also encouraged to sit with the children during snack time to learn what their preferences are.
• Provide nutrition education to parents and/or staff through creation of monthly newsletter.
• Participate in tabling events.