My summer learning about food and nutrition policy

This past summer, I had the opportunity to work with the California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA), a statewide policy and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of low-income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious, affordable food.

During my internship, I learned a lot about the legislative process, and had the opportunity to participate in direct advocacy and lobbying in Sacramento. I also participated in media advocacy by assisting CFPA in the publication of their policy reports. Later in the summer, I participated in CFPA’s annual policy development process, in which I directly interviewed anti-hunger and anti-poverty partners all across the state to hear about their main priorities and issues. From there, I helped CFPA compile the results of those interviews and determine their next Legislative Agenda. Overall throughout the summer, I learned about the particular policy levers needed to influence policy change, and also about the importance of listening and partnership building in advocacy. It was an amazing summer full of learning and growth, and I definitely left with the knowledge and skills I was hoping to gain in the MPH program (as well as the confidence to use them!).