Slow Food UW

The Family Dinner Night intern is part of the FDN team, which provides a weekly, family-style dinner for the Madison community, sourced from local, seasonal ingredients. FDN interns help with recipe planning, scaling, and cooking in the kitchen. They also have the opportunity to help organize meal collaborations and source meals at local farmers’ markets. This internship is a great way to “dip your toes” into the Slow Food UW community while also contributing meaningfully to one of its weekly operations. Prior kitchen experience is appreciated, but not required. FDN happens almost every Monday night at 6:30pm.

Average Time Commitment

• At least 5 hours per week, spent on either Sunday preparation or Monday service/clean up.
• Sundays from 3:00pm-6pm.
• Mondays from 3:30pm-9:30pm.
• If you want to apply for an Assistant Director position that leads to a Director role, please note this on your application! Approximately 1 hour of additional collaboration will be required per week.

Internship Outcomes

• Time management skills
• Cooking skills
• Meet some great people
• Problem-solving skills
• Connection to the community

Cafe interns will work within a team to prep, cook, and serve food on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This position allows interns to develop stronger kitchen skills, communication skills, and leadership skills. Each week, interns prep food on Tuesdays between classes – the kitchen is open from 9 am to 8 pm. Interns and directors will be coming through the crossing kitchen to prep the food to be ready for Wednesday, following the “prep sheet” that is created and shared with all of the interns. On Wednesday, interns will prep and serve the food to the slow food community. It is the intern’s responsibility to help clean up the kitchen after service.

Average Time Commitment

• At least 4 hours per week, spent on either Tuesday preparation or Wednesday service/clean up.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• If you have experience cooking or working in a kitchen, that is fantastic, BUT it is not required! The kitchen is a learning environment!
• Prep meals by cutting vegetables, herbs, fruits, etc., and following recipes (or creating your own!)
• Cleaning the kitchen and eating area after meals
• Positive attitudes & willingness to finish the meal!
• Ability to communicate with others
• Commit and show up for hours during prep and meal times

Internship Outcomes

• Time management, problem solving, and cooking skills
• Meet some great people
• Connection to the community
• Gain kitchen experience
• Get a taste of what running a restaurant feels like

Sourcing interns will be working within a team to source good, clean, fair food for all. This position allows an intern to interact within the Slow Food UW community and beyond. Each week, the team will source produce and other goods for two meals, FDN and Cafe, for the following week. All goods are to be sourced locally, sustainably, and with local markets in mind. It is an intern’s responsibility to help keep those values and objectives in mind, collaborate as a team, and represent SFUW throughout the community. Interns will also be responsible for helping with inventory and financial reporting/planning. Sourcing is a great opportunity to engage with local food systems and make a difference in what we provide here at SFUW.

Average Time Commitment

• 4 hours every week, Saturday mornings will begin around 8am, and end around 12pm.
• Throughout the semester, the intern will be required to work 1-2 hours in addition to Saturday sourcing, including inventory or F.H. King sourcing on Sunday mornings. The intern must complete both at least once during the semester.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Attend weekly sourcing outings on Saturday mornings.
• While it is generally expected that interns attend the weekly Saturday sourcing sessions, we understand if scheduling conflicts arise. If you frequently miss, you are expected to volunteer in other areas of SFUW to make up for the time missed.
• Maintain good communication with directors and other interns.
• Engage in all sourcing steps and take initiative throughout the process. This includes taking kitchen inventory, recording financials during purchases, etc.
• Access to a car is not mandatory, but incredibly helpful!

Internship Outcomes

• Collaborate with other SFUW interns, create a safe and welcoming environment, and HAVE FUN!
• Learn about SFUW’s mission and how sourcing fits into this team.
• Form relationships with the local Madison farming community by engaging with local food systems.
• Understand the value of sourcing local and sustainable food while supporting local food economies.
• Understand the complexity that sourcing food has on a community, students, and organization members.
• Have unforgettable, amazing, spectacular, fun, and just awesome experiences! 🙂

Slow Food UW is a student-led non-profit organization. The financial goals of our food service operations (Family Dinner Night & Café) are to break even–not make a profit–to sustain operations. But to pay annual rent, expand our menu variety, and purchase merchandise, SFUW relies heavily on external funding. We are looking for someone who is passionate about SFUW, believes in the mission, and acknowledges the importance of grant writing and fundraising. The Fundraising Outreach intern will also play a significant role in planning micro-fundraisers, such as bake sales or social media challenges, as well as the Spring Gala. Those with experience in self-directed work, team leadership, and project management are encouraged to apply. This role is supported by all SFUW directors and will be supported by those individuals.

Average Time Commitment

• 1 hr at weekly directors’ meetings
• 3-5 hours during the week performing responsibilities
• Additional hours required on days of events

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Actively seek out fundraising on a weekly basis by gathering information, discovering grant opportunities, pursuing creative ideas, and encouraging involvement from directors and interns on large projects like grant proposals, the Gala, Alumni collaboration events, etc.
• Communicate each week’s progress at weekly directors’ meetings and demonstrate progress toward SFUW fundraising goals.
• Manage events from the envisioning to the execution stages with assistance from executive directors and other interested directors.

The Café/FDN Logistics intern(s) will be responsible for setting up, running, and closing down the check-in table on Monday night FDN and/or Wednesday afternoon Café. This includes taking orders, collecting donations, and completing customer transactions. The logistics intern will also assist the Slow Food team in special events, such as collaborations with other organizations or fundraising events. Experience with customer service and spreadsheets is recommended but not required. Any candidate, regardless of experience, can apply as long as they are willing to learn and improve their skills. A successful intern is customer-facing and adaptable, working toward the logistics team’s collective goal of bringing fresh, local food to our customers at sustainable and equitable prices.

Average Time Commitment

• Available Mondays from 6-8:30 (FDN) or Tuesday’s from 11:45-2 (Cafe) when we are running meals.
• Should be available for Finance meetings every 1-3 weeks. 2-4 hours a week

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Setting up Cafe/FDN, taking orders, tracking revenue, filling out required spreadsheets, and closing down the cashier’s table at the end of meals.
• Manage the check-in table during Monday night FDN and/or Wednesday afternoon Café, taking orders, handling donations, and processing customer transactions.
• Contribute to special events, like collaborations or fundraisers, in support of the Slow Food team’s mission to provide fresh, local food at fair and sustainable prices.
• While customer service and spreadsheet experience are beneficial, candidates without these skills are encouraged to apply, as long as they are eager to learn and grow.

Our Communications Intern position focuses on both external and internal communications within the Slow Food UW community. The duties of this position include designing posters and photos, creating social media content, and promoting our initiatives. Applicants passionate about promoting local food systems and food justice are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate must be enthusiastic about communicating via digital media, participating in various SFUW events, and have experience in design.

Average Time Commitment

• 2-6 hours per week

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Update our Instagram and Facebook with weekly menus, meals, and other events. This includes accurate information about ingredients, culturally significant details, and specific aspects such as spelling, pronunciation, and language.
• Engage the Slow Food UW community over our social media platforms and find new ways to increase turnout.
• Attend weekly meals to capture content for social media pages–this includes taking photos and videos before and during meals.
• Use Canva to create Instagram updates notifying the community about our work
• Experience with photography, design, and social media.
• Communicate internally with the Slow Food UW board of directors.
• Respond to questions and messages from the community through our social media platforms.