Southern Arizona youth interested in food policy have just a few days left to apply for the Community Food Bank's Sowing Remedies Youth Fellowship, with applications closing Sept. 26.

The fellowship, which begins Oct. 6 and runs through April 13, aims to build students' knowledge of historical and systemic barriers to food equity and find community-based solutions by fostering leadership skills, advocating for food policies and connecting with local organizers. The program is open to any youth interested in food insecurity.

Fellowship Coordinator Elizabeth Pena called it an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to teaching students about food in their communities.

“We're not lecturing the students,” she said. “We're taking them different places, helping (them) make connections if they are interested in certain food organizations.”

The program started five years ago as a one-week gardening program in the spring, Pena said. It has since grown to include more policy-based teaching and experiential learning through field trips to elected officials' offices and more.

The fellowship is open to high school students, who meet every second Tuesday of the month from 4 to 7 p.m., plus one Saturday every other month starting in November, at the Community Food Bank and other locations around Tucson.

Last year's cohort included eight students from high schools across Tucson, including Sahuaro, Sunnyside, Desertview, Pima Rise Academy, Andrada and Innovation. Fellows were selected based on their interest in food security, local food systems and advocacy, and many expressed a desire to build leadership skills and connect with other students working toward similar goals.

The fellowship features art-building, community engagement and public speaking, helping students develop confidence in civic engagement.

Students selected for the fellowship also receive a $1,000 stipend.

“Even if (the students) do the program and they decide to not necessarily go into food policy, I do think that they see a bigger, broader perspective of the system that we live in,” Pena said.

The food bank focuses on feeding people experiencing hunger across Southern Arizona through programs and services like emergency food distribution and community gardens.

Research from Map the Meal Gap showed that in 2024, 16.3% of people in Pima County experienced food insecurity, up from 15.1% in 2023.

Residents are also grappling with changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. A Sept. 16 Pima County memo announced that participation in the federal food assistance program dropped 45% in the county, driven largely by the Big Beautiful Bill Act, a federal law that alters work rules and eligibility while expanding work requirements for childless adults up to age 64.

After President Trump signed the bill into law, millions of people across the country, including 1.2 million children, lost their benefits.

Pena said it's important for students to be introduced to the concept of food policy and regulation given the ongoing changes in the field.

“I do think it's important for (the students) to know as they're stepping into their adulthood that these things like the FDA, food recalls and everything isn't just happening,” she said. “People are making decisions.”

Graduates of the program can stay involved through ongoing leadership opportunities with the food bank, local policy groups and internships.

Pena said the program only has the capacity to accept about 10 students this year, but she hopes it can expand in the future. She encouraged interested students to apply and to ask an adult if they have questions about the application.

Allison Kuester is a student at Northwestern University and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at allisonkuester2029@u.northwestern.edu.

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