Education & Workforce

Student Programs

Graduate Student Researchers

Nourish is open to graduate student researchers willing to work remotely on our projects or with our community partners. These may include:

  • Students involved in existing programs facilitated by the WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health

  • Graduate students at West Virginia University

  • Professional students seeking rotations for dietetic internships or public health practicum

Academic credit will be awarded for up to three hours per semester, under Independent Study or Research. Students will have the opportunity to submit abstracts and give presentations at local research symposia and related events.

Requirements: Interested students should email NourishWV@hsc.wvu.edu with a cover letter and their resume. Materials must be received no later than two weeks prior to the first day of classes for the fall or spring semester to accommodate interviews and confirmation of placement.

Rural Community Health Scholars: Food Is Medicine Module

West Virginia Area Health Education Centers runs the Rural Community Health Scholars program, designed to train health professions students from across the state in rural healthcare delivery, community engagement and personal development. The program has several didactic pathways. Nourish has worked with WV AHEC to develop a new Food Is Medicine module, which trains students on the concept that population-level access to nutritious food is critical to public health and community resilience.

Micro credential in Food is Medicine

Launching in the Fall of 2026, the Food is Medicine Micro credential, is an interdisciplinary learning pathway designed to prepare health professionals, students, community practitioners, and partners to translate Food is Medicine principles into meaningful practice. The curriculum explores the intersection of healthcare, community resources, and food systems, with particular attention to nutrition security, chronic disease, rural health, and the social, economic, and environmental conditions that influence access to healthy food. Completion of the pathway demonstrates progressive competency in Food is Medicine and readiness to work across healthcare, public health, nutrition, culinary education, community organizations, and local food systems.

Learners progress through a series of five competency-based learning badges

  • Foundations of Food is Medicine, describe the evidence base, the continuum of interventions from population-level nutrition supports to medically tailored meals, and the importance of interdisciplinary, patient- and community-centered care.

  • Health-literate communication builds skills for communicating nutrition and food-resource information effectively, equitably, and without stigma while responding appropriately to common nutrition questions and misinformation.

  • Local food access & planning expands the learner's understanding of local food systems, nutrition security, community resources, and approaches for planning programs that connect healthcare and community needs with available food assets.

  • Nutrition and culinary strategies translates nutrition recommendations into practical, accessible culinary approaches that can support healthy eating and chronic disease prevention in diverse populations.

  • Community-based culinary programs prepares learners to design, facilitate, and evaluate cooking demonstrations and hands-on culinary education programs, including consideration of equipment, ingredients, staffing, participant flow, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, food safety, evaluation, and the use of the outreach planning tools.