Emerson Fellow
Rebecca Van Maren
17th Class, 2010-2011
A Utah native, Rebecca graduated in 2010 from the University of Utah with a degree in human development and family studies, community and consumer studies and a minor in nutrition. She has served as a Service-Learning Scholar, a Residential Advisor, and held leadership positions in the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center. Rebecca interned at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and worked with the Community Food Co-op of Utah to establish mobile markets in food deserts in Utah's Salt Lake County.
Field placement: Food Lifeline
Seattle, Washington
Rebecca researched best practices in providing summer meals and after school snacks/dinners from around the state of Washington as well as the nation. She also accessed Food Lifeline’s operations and developed a model to provide a year round Child Nutrition Program. This model highlighted current efficiencies in their operating system, while also increasing their capacity to reach kids throughout their 17 county service area. Rebecca also participated in the WA Summer Meals Statewide Partnership to help community based organizations identify needs, partners, and outreach strategies and resources to strengthen local summer meal programs.
Policy placement: RESULTS
Washington, D.C.
Rebecca worked in the domestic department of RESULTS on their 2011 Early Childhood Development campaign. She trained and supported new activists around the country and focused on increasing the voices of college students and Head Start families participating in the network. She facilitated advocacy workshops at student conferences and planned an early childhood development expert panel for the RESULTS International Conference. In addition, she also wrote background materials, blog posts, updated the RESULS website.