Nearly 80% of farmworkers are male, and most are younger than 31.
ITF Applicant Information
A Life-Changing Experience | Where You'll Work | Theater & Documentary Projects | Are You Eligible? | Expectations | Benefits | Program Timeline | Contact Info
A Life-Changing Experience
Many people don’t think about where their food comes from; they just go to the grocery store and buy it, unaware of the people who produce it. Farmworkers have one of the most dangerous jobs and are among the lowest paid workers in the U.S. They face discrimination, heat illness, pesticide exposure, poor housing, and low wages. Farmworkers have a long history of organizing, standing up for better working and living conditions through labor unions and community organizations. By participating in ITF you can be a part of this tradition!
How would you like to spend your summer supporting the people who plant and harvest the fruits and vegetables you eat every day? Through Into the Fields you will support farmworker agencies and organizations and get trained on the issues surrounding farmworkers’ lives and the broader context of the agricultural industry. Each summer, Student Action with Farmworkers places 30 college students with organizations that serve, organize or advocate for farmworker justice. SAF interns come from diverse backgrounds and about half are from farmworker families. Apply now- Click here.
Where You'll Work
Most interns live & work in rural agricultural areas in the Southeast- we place you at an organization based on your skills & interests. All placements consist of at least 50% office work as well as some outreach to farmworkers, their children, or meat processing workers. Placement types:
- Legal Assistance positions provide free legal assistance such as know your rights trainings, educational materials, translation, assisting lawyers with paperwork & research. Outreach varies but can be 1-3 times/week.
- Health Agency positions provide health education trainings, interpretation, case management & coordinate transportation to clinics. Outreach varies but can be 1-5 times/week.
- Migrant Education positions advocate for improved educational opportunities for Latino, migrant & immigrant youth. Interns may teach ESL classes, mentor students & educate parents about graduation requirements through migrant education programs. Outreach varies but can be 1-3 times/week.
- Community Organizing positions support field & meat processing workers. Interns have organized know your rights trainings, educated health agencies about human trafficking, produced a documentary about immigration & developed a bike program for farmworkers. Outreach is less frequent.
Theater & Documentary Projects
In addition to working full-time at a farmworker organization, SAF interns work on one of the following projects:
Documentary students will get to know an individual or family more in-depth by documenting their lives through interviews, photography, and creative writing. The 2011 focus will be on the labor lore of farmworkers and their families.
Theater students will create a skit to initiate dialogue among farmworkers and to mobilize them to come up with solutions to the issues they face. Performances take place in labor camps in Eastern NC and address issues important to workers; the 2011 topic is HIV & STI prevention.
*Interns may submit a proposal to fulfill an academic requirement at their school in lieu of a theater or documentary project, if they meet SAF’s standards.
Are You Eligible?
To qualify you must speak intermediate or advanced Spanish. To be preferenced you must be able to say yes to one of the following:
- I am a college student from a farmworker family (anywhere in the U.S.)
- I am a student currently attending college in the Southeastern U.S.
- I am a college student from the Southeast (the southeast is your home; you grew up there; your parents still live there, etc.)
Expectations
- Fundraise $650 to contribute to the program
- Work 40 hours per week
- Participate in the entire program from June 3-August 12, 2012
- Write 4 guided journals
- Conduct a community awareness project during the summer
- Complete a documentary or theater project*
- Be willing to drive/ travel long distances to trainings and to outreach to farmworkers (1-4 hrs/day, 2-5 days/week)
Benefits
$1350 total per diem, free furnished housing, $1500 scholarship, 3 free trainings, and academic credit available.
Program Timeline
| Nov 1 | Application available online |
| Feb 6 | Application deadline |
| Feb 20-24 | Applicant Interviews |
| March 7 | Applicants notified of Selection/Waitlist/Decline |
| March 16 | Deadline to accept position or be on the waitlist |
| Mar 25-31 | Farmworker Awareness Week |
| June 3-8 | SAF Orientation (Winston Salem, NC) |
| June 11 | First day of work |
| July 6-8 | Mid-Retreat (Greensboro, NC) |
| August 8 | Last day of on-site work |
| August 10-12 | Final Retreat (Durham, NC) |
| August 12-13 | Participants travel home |
Contact Info
Rosalva Soto
Program Coordinator
919 660 3674
Laxmi Haynes
Program Director
919 660 3660
