Training Opportunities

The NOURISH training program develops the next generation of scientists interested in nutrition and sustainable food systems with equitable access to healthy, fresh food.

High School and Middle
School Trainees: 4-H Program

4-H is a national nonprofit educational program created by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for K-2 students in agriculture and food systems. NOURISH works with 4-H groups of middle- and high-school students nationwide to introduce geospatial science and artificial intelligence to measure and analyze food environments across the US, training the next generation of leaders in computer science, policy change and community resilience.

The NOURISH training program is aligned with NSF's Next Generation Science Standards' performance expectations. Beginning in July 2024, NOURISH scientists at the UC San Diego Supercomputer Center hosted 4-H clubs attending the local Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) conference annually.

Undergraduate Trainees

Undergraduate students collaborate with NOURISH through academic courses taught by Dr. Keith Pezzoli at the University of California San Diego's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, starting in Fall 2024. Students help build the platform through a novel experiential learning effort focused on canvassing the food environments of San Diego County.

Coordinated by the UC Bioregional Center, the Convergence Research Institute (CORE Institute), and the Global Action Research Center, students recieve an introductory training to community science, convergence research, and food systems.

Graduate Students and
Post-Graduate Trainees

Active predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees can participate in the multidisciplinary NOURISH fellowship program, administered as a virtual seminar series to facilitate training and professional development in convergence science on nutrition security, including geospatial modeling, artificial intelligence, equity and ethics in food systems, and community-based participatory research.

Seminars include speakers on food systems and nutrition security, urban planning for sustainable food systems, geospatial modeling, and AI methods (e.g. knowledge graphs, large language models). Trainees present their ongoing work for review and feedback from leading multidisciplinary scientists and have opportunities for mentoring high school and undergraduate students.