In?collaboration with the non-profit College?for Social Innovation, UNH has given three undergraduate fellows the opportunity to have a meaningful semester-long internship experience?on campus?through the SITC @ UNH?program.?In addition to Phoebe?Adame’s?success with her?SITC @ UNH?internship?at the Sustainability Institute, Autumn Thon?is next?up?in our series?showcasing the work of students in?this pilot program.?SITC @ UNH students?intern?with a UNH department in Durham?for 30 hours per week to work?on strategic sustainability projects that actively promote making?a?positive?change on campus. SITC @ UNH fellows?are contributing to UNH’s constantly evolving sustainability practices,?building their credentials,?and?connecting?with?the?UNH and New?England?students?enrolled?in the?Semester in the City?Boston-based program.??
Autumn,?a sophomore Women’s and Gender Studies?and Social Work?double?major,?is nothing but grateful for this pilot program which she describes as the opportunity to?have?a?“human contact experience even while in lockdown.”?Because the SITC @ UNH students connect and share classes with the Semester in the City students, she?feels?like?she?is?actually?in Boston, but without having to move?there?for the semester.??
Autumn is?interning?with the?UNH Office of Community Equity and Diversity?and Sustainability Institute to bring the 7thFood Solutions New England's (FSNE)?21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge?to UNH. The?Office of Community Equity and Diversity helps ensure that campus operations are equitable for all?members of the UNH community. They believe diversity, equity,?accessibility,?and inclusion are the foundational values that strengthen a community and allow community members to be uniquely themselves.?The Sustainability Institute’s?FSNE?is a movement designed to unite the food system community around a shared set of values- democratic empowerment, racial equity, and dignity for all, sustainability, and trust.??
Through her internship, Autumn is organizing and executing the UNH 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge? and?helping with?other related events?on campus.?The 21-Day Challenge?runs from?April 5th?through the?25th?and?the UNH?organized?events?aim to educate students, professors, and?community members?to explore?various issues?that arise from?racial inequities?in the?food?system?and make connections to?their?participation in the Challenge.?For example,?a series of?three?student-led?dialogues, in partnership with the Civil Discourse Lab,?is being held?where participants will delve deeper into?the?bias behind behavioral practices and build more effective social justice habits.?Several?additional?events?are available?for students to engage with?related to the Challenge. Diamond?Library?will be?hosting a special collection of selected readings, videos and films focusing on racial equity and food justice throughout?April?and UNH Dining?will?feature?several local vendors, New England businesses,?that have been selected to provide food for UNH’s dining halls?for their commitment to equitable work practices.??
Autumn is working on writing a blog series on each of these vendors.?She is enjoying bringing light to the accomplishments?of these exceptional people and organizations.?One?notable vendor is local business Pierce Bros Coffee,?who?proudly?uses?only?100% organic and?fair-trade certified?coffee beans.?Additionally, Autumn?will be?facilitating dialogues to discuss themes of the?Challenge and content centered?on?issues of racial equity. As a frequent participant in?dialogues?of similar topics, Autumn is?incredibly?eager. She says,?“I’ve been part of dialogues before but have never facilitated, so?I'm very interested to see it from that side.”?
In order to be successful at planning?this?sizable?project,?Autumn has relied on her?concurrent?classes, INCO 505A and INCO 505B,?to help. She recounts, “organization has definitely been very,?very helpful to me?and it’s something we went over in?class and?I’ve discussed with?my mentors and the?staff at the?Sustainability Institute. Breaking?down goals?and?putting?them on a time frame is something that has been tremendously useful to me,?especially?for?future jobs?where?there might not be a lot?of that structure to begin with.”?
Autumn does not have concrete plans for the?future and?is grateful for this experience in the ways?that?it has shaped her ideal career?path. Autumn?notes, “I was pretty sure what direction I wanted to go in before?SITC @ UNH;?I have a queer studies minor?and?I intended?on working closely with the queer community that?I?belong to because that's where my personal stakes are.?Now with all the really interesting work we've been doing?and?all the people?I've been meeting,?I’m wondering if there's any way?of?combining?both?interests.”?Luckily,?Autumn has learned?social justice issues are sustainability issues?and they?are?“more connected than one might initially think” to other issues of environmental and economic sustainability. She’s learned?that the?UNH?views sustainability as a collective commitment to human dignity for all people and ecological integrity in all places.?The?work?of sustainability?is built around?ethical obligations to uphold social justice, preserving the health of the planet and much more.???
Autumn advises other?students to consider the opportunity of?SITC @ UNH?as the?program has?many projects that relate to?all?majors and?focuses?on?helping students?develop the qualities that employers are looking for: creativity,?self-drive and?interpersonal and problem-solving skills.?Autumn?praises?the program for being extremely accessible in creating a work experience relevant to her major and personal beliefs?that is inclusive of?“non-traditional” students like herself,?who are tied to the Durham area.?Be on the lookout for her blog posts about?the?vendors?working with UNH Dining?and find out more information on?the Challenge on?the?UNH?21-Day?Challenge Website.???
STUDENTS: Participate in?SITC @ UNH?and make an impact at UNH!??Learn more.???
Contact?Faina?Bukher?Program Director, Changemaker Collaborative,?or?schedule a time to chat.???
UNH DEPARTMENTS:?Interested?in hosting a SITC @ UNH fellow????
Contact?Jennifer Andrews,?Sustainability Project Director???
