Training the Next Generation of Food Systems Practitioners
CRAFT is housed within the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment at Chatham University, where we collaborate closely with Food Studies and Sustainability MA students. Our goal is to provide students with meaningful, real-world experience working with food businesses, farmers, nonprofits, and institutions to help build a more resilient regional food system.
Students contribute to grant implementation, food systems consulting projects, and research efforts, and many lead their own consulting or research initiatives that directly support our clients. They also participate in CRAFT’s backbone operations, including financial management, communications, grant writing, prospecting, and more.
We refer to this model as a praxis lab because students learn food systems theory in the classroom while simultaneously applying it through hands-on work with CRAFT. This approach allows them to transform their academic learning into action and contribute to meaningful change, all while earning their degree.
To date, more than 60 students have worked with CRAFT and have gone on to food systems careers across the country and around the world.
“My role gave me the chance to learn new skills, collaborate on projects, and gain hands-on experience with food businesses and organizations. I also appreciated the opportunities to travel, support CRAFT’s goals, and connect my work directly to the mission of the USDA Appalachia Regional Food Business Center.”