DefaultVeg Internship: Transform Your Campus While Building Your Career
Are you passionate about creating meaningful environmental change through simple shifts to campus food systems? The Better Food Foundation’s DefaultVeg Internship Program empowers you with practical leadership skills to transform campus dining while developing professional competencies that future employers value.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE FULL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POSTING
Our Plant-Forward Approach
At DefaultVeg, we implement a simple yet powerful strategy: offering plant-based food as the default choice while preserving everyone’s freedom to choose animal products if desired. This science-backed approach:
- Preserves freedom of choice for all diners
- Normalizes plant-forward eating without imposing restrictions
- Creates immediate environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions 25-40%
- Reduces food costs (averaging $0.59 per meal savings in NYC hospitals)
- Ensures inclusive options that meet diverse dietary needs
Who Should Apply?
This internship is ideal for proactive students studying environmental science, nutrition, public health, or another discipline. Our program offers a customizable experience aligned with your academic and career goals.
What You’ll Gain
As a DefaultVeg Student Intern, you’ll develop:
- Research expertise in analyzing campus dining systems
- Communication skills for persuading diverse stakeholders
- Project management experience leading initiatives from concept to completion
- Professional connections with sustainability leaders through our online Circle platform
- Measurable impact you can showcase to future employers
- Personalized mentorship from experienced sustainability professionals
- Academic recognition through course credit (where applicable), LinkedIn certification, and a recommendation letter from the Executive Director
Program Impact: Real Results
Our interns have already created significant change:
- At Cornell University, students eliminated upcharges for plant-based milk and introduced plant-based desserts
- UCLA’s Bruin Model UN conference adopted plant-based by default policies, serving plant-forward meals to over 2,000 students
- At NYU, interns successfully implemented plant-based by default policies at events for 9 campus organizations
Join a growing movement of campus leaders creating measurable impacts through innovative behavioral science system change. The DefaultVeg Internship Program doesn’t just enhance your resume—it empowers you to implement solutions to the climate crisis.
What Interns Have Said
“The DefaultVeg Internship transformed me from a climate-concerned student to a strategic changemaker. This experience proved that Gen Z doesn’t just want change—we know how to create it.” – Hannah, student
“I gained many skills, including writing letters of support to the sustainability council and networking with industry leaders on my campus.” -Maddie, University of Alberta
“The program staff provided excellent support throughout the internship. They regularly checked in, made themselves available for meetings, and equipped us with valuable tools, resources, and connections that were instrumental to my project’s success.” – Jessica, Cornell
About Better Food Foundation
Our mission is to create more sustainable food systems by advancing plant-based food practices and reshaping cultural narratives around food choices. We envision a thriving world where plant-forward eating is the norm.
To learn more about our program’s impact, see “How DefaultVeg Interns Are Reshaping Food Systems” and read about the systemic impact our program is having on campus sustainability in Bloomberg.
For more on the climate and behavioral science foundations of our work, view a recent webinar we led for AASHE (Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Ed)
Program Details
- Time Commitment: 12-15 hours monthly
- Duration: two semesters
- Grant: $1,000 grant upon completion of project objectives, $500 per semester
- Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students aligned with our mission. You must also be located on or near your campus. Unfortunately, we can’t accept students who are fully remote from another location.
Ready to Apply?
- Complete the Application Form (https://www.betterfoodfoundation.org/join-us/students/)
- Send your resume to our Education Director, Kenzie: kenzie@betterfoodfoundation.org
This program can also fulfill requirements for capstones, community service learning, and graduate projects. Please inquire for details.