Food Aid Day.
Hello my name is Emily Walsh and I have recently completed a Research and Internship Assistance Program (RIAP) position in Ottawa with IICA Delegation in Canada. This was a two-part internship with different organizations. I spent the first phase with 4-H Canada, and finished the assignment with IICA’s Delegation in Canada.
Food Aid Day.
Hello my name is Emily Walsh and I have recently completed a Research and Internship Assistance Program (RIAP) position in Ottawa with IICA Delegation in Canada. This was a two-part internship with different organizations. I spent the first phase with 4-H Canada, and finished the assignment with IICA’s Delegation in Canada.
During the first phase of my internship I was working behind the scenes on a new 4-H Canada project. LEARNS was officially unveiled during the 4-H Global Summit in July 2017. LEARNS stands for: Learn, Educate, Access Resources, Network, Support. It is designed to connect 4-H organizations across the globe and allow experience/resource sharing among leaders. My main job was connecting with international 4-H groups and sharing the goals of 4-H LEARNS to introduce global organizations to the platform before it officially launched. I was also involved in developing a sorting and organizing system for resources and getting 4-H Canada resources to match this new format.
For IICA, I worked on a project on food loss and waste. This had me gathering and summarizing relevant literature on the issue of food loss and waste in Canada and in developing countries, with the focus on imported products. Food loss and waste is a serious global issue that affects everyone but is not front and center in every country’s radar. Given that there is a lack of awareness on the issue, part of my internship included the development of a presentation display at the 4-H Global Summit Opportunity Expo to educate the youth and leader delegates on the impacts of food loss and waste. This presentation was well received as many delegates were interested in learning what they could do and how to access teaching materials on the subject.
The Opportunity Expo at the 4-H Global Summit provided an opportunity to connect both of my internship roles. During the Summit I also assisted in different events for both organizations, including the promotion of IICA Canada’s social media presence and as a volunteer for the 4-H Global Summit’s Signature events, I was involved in set-up, take down and other tasks during the event. In my view, my internship contributed significantly to my professional experience and provided the opportunity to learn about both organizations, about food loss and waste, and youth development. I hope to apply these experiences from my placements to my future work after the internships. THANK YOU IICA!
