Innovating to Bridge the Gap by Morgan Ocetnik

My name is Morgan Ocetnik. I am a journalism and marketing senior and a Marketing Intern for Radford University’s Dining Services. One passion of mine has always been nutrition and fitness. I have spent countless hours in the gym and constantly focus on bettering my nutrition. As a student in previous years, when I had a meal plan, I remember having a desire for a convenient quick recovery drink, food, or snack after finishing a workout.

I saw a need for a focus on nutrition on-campus. During my junior year, I became the Secretary of Health and Wellness for our Student Government Association. My first thought in that position was, “why is our university producing nothing out of our Rec and Wellness Center?” I talked to SGA advisors and directors in the gym, but I got shot down from moving the idea forward.

Once I became an intern for our dining services, the same question arose again. I quickly learned that getting a retail location in the Rec Center would face too many obstacles. So, my question then became, what concept can we bring to the table that will produce revenue, fill the need for a post-workout snack or meal, and still be at convenience without having to build a permanent location inside the gym?

I wanted to set up a temporary pop-up once a week at a populated time range outside of the Rec Center and use it as an opportunity to educate our students. In February of this semester, we introduced the new Fairlife Core Protein Shakes product line into our retail locations. Considering we needed a new product to utilize for our pop-up at the Rec Center, we completed some research and quickly realized it was a solid product that we backed. So, we completely revamped the idea and shifted to utilizing this product as part of our Beverage Promotions.

We brought in a new flavor to sample from the Core Power product line outside of the Rec Center and sold full bottles of the current flavors we had on campus. Based on the number of people who entirely exited the gym during the period we were there, we sold to about 80-85% of them. In under 45 minutes, which comprised $115.11 in additional revenue. Overall, we were excited to have the option to introduce additional revenue that was not previously there and hear positive feedback about the product. To further expand this project, we plan to do a social media poll for more data and hopefully try out this concept a few more times before the semester ends.

The best part about being an intern for Chartwells is making an impact on my campus community. Seeing my ideas and projects come to life makes me feel heard and valued. Although my ultimate plan did not flourish while being part of SGA, my overall goal did because of my internship with Chartwells. I love using my internship platform to represent our student body and make a difference.

Citrus Hack: Repurposing Waste into Usable Products by Savannah Koth

I came up with the idea of FYUL Friday videos after seeing content creators start to post reels on Instagram. I wanted our page to begin utilizing this new feature, since it seemed to be growing in popularity, and I thought the kickoff of the new year would be a perfect time to start something new. I knew January’s superfood of citrus would offer some really great content to highlight their array of uses, other than just being eaten, such as peel candles and infused all-purpose cleaners. Creating these weekly videos allowed me to mix my passion and internship focus of sustainability with real world applications in marketing, and pushed me to explore new grounds, since I had never made videos before. It also allowed me to learn new ways of using citrus and avoiding waste or at least giving the peels a second life, as well as relay that new information to our social media platform. I had planned for these short videos to only be posted weekly during January, but they were such a hit that I plan to continue this project into future months. I am currently working on highlighting cruciferous vegetables, and I’m having a great time doing so!

Check out the FYUL Friday feature from the local news below!

Bringing “Powered by Plants” to Life by Madison Sanborn

When you think of March, does your mind wander to basketball and brackets? The start of a new season and the dreaded allergies that come with it? Or, maybe you think about National Nutrition Month. That’s where the “Powered by Plants Challenge” comes in!

My name is Madison Sanborn and I am a marketing intern for Chartwells at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse (UWL). I had the opportunity to combine wellness, innovation, and nutrition into a fun challenge for students across the nation. In early November, Christy Ihrke, the Marketing Manager for Chartwells at UWL, tasked me with researching food holidays for the spring semester as a way to incorporate creative, new ideas to campus here in La Crosse. When I learned that March was National Nutrition Month, I thought it would be fun to create a nutrition challenge to combine wellness, innovation, and dining. It was important for me to incorporate a variety of challenges that touched on both physical and mental health while also maintaining a focus on nutrition.

I initially expected this idea to be rolled out only at UWL, but Christy informed me in December that the calendar I created received a great deal of positive feedback at the corporate level! She asked if I was willing to share and develop the calendar and roll it out nationally to every Chartwells Higher Ed account… I happily agreed and we got to work! I had the opportunity to work with both Christy and Megan Simon, the corporate dietician to adjust and improve aspects of the calendar. After these adjustments were made, the calendar was sent to Jenny Fuga, the Chartwells graphic designer; It is now finalized and ready to roll out in March!

This internship has given me countless opportunities to gain real-world experience about the marketing industry and my involvement working on the Powered by Plants challenge is no exception. It is common, especially for young professionals, to feel that some of their ideas may be too “out there.” As we gain experience, we also gain confidence - in ourselves and our ideas. I witnessed firsthand that when you are surrounded by a good, hardworking team of people, nearly anything is possible. I gained a deeper appreciation for diverse skill sets and the team work that goes into making any idea into a reality. What began as a blank calendar and an idea that one intern thought could be too “out there” is now available for every Chartwells Higher Ed account… The Powered by Plants Challenge would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the work of many and I am thankful for everyone that contributed to this project and believed in my idea!

Interns Driving Innovation

Student Success interns had the opportunity to present their campus innovation at this year’s NACAS conference. Check out behind-the-scenes footage as interns from Texas A&M and University of Houston share their internship experience and how they are driving innovation.

University of Houston has the new frictionless markets and you’ve been part of the rollout. Tell us about your experience.

The new Market is the fastest and safest convenience store experience ever. No cashiers, no waiting in line, no hassle.

As an intern, I got to see how Chartwells, University of Houston and Boost technology collaborated to a successful market rollout with such innovative approaches. It was a great experience to see hands on how these companies able to come together and create the final product where they all had a visible contribution.

So cool being able to see it all come together. How has your role in this innovative project relate to your internship?

The entire project has been a great experience, but as a Data Analytics intern, beta testing the program before it released was my favorite part. I was able to meet with our vendor, Boost and learn how the back end of the program worked. It was so cool to be able to test the product before everyone else. And able to learn how program worked before available to public. If I wasn’t part of Chartwells, I wouldn’t have that experience.

Texas A&M is known for Culinary Innovation on campus. Tell us about your favorite spot and what they’re doing that’s different and innovative.

Copperhead Jacks is not only my favorite restaurant on campus, but arguably the favorite spot for students and faculty alike. This retail location is one of a kind at Texas A&M and offers a variety of southern tex-mex style dishes providing a wide variety of ingredients and a more customizable meal.

Copperhead is a personal favorite to me in the fact that my fellow graphic design interns created all the graphics, logos and menu boards in the restaurant. So we take pride in the restaurant because our interns really made it what it is.

As a marketing intern, tell us how you push the needle and keep culinary programs innovative.

Every October, we have a massive student satisfaction survey Voice 2 Vision. My role as an intern is to conduct the survey and analyze the data.  Administrating this survey alone has taught me simple interpersonal skills; being friendly, genuine and caring with all students.

At the conclusion of the survey, I take the data and am able to make specific recommendations on how I believe we can better our dining operations on campus. It’s cool I have the authority to make accurate and reliable predictions just as an intern.

How has working with innovative projects like this prepared you for your future career?

There are many tools and skills I’ve learned during this project and internship that will benefit me in long run. Part of what I do as marketing intern, I focus on communication and keep students informed with events, LTOs and meal plan. I’ve worked with two software programs, constant contact and survey monkey which I’ve become effective and efficient in.

My Internship Experience with Chartwells During the Pandemic by Padideh Lovan

Since I started my foodservice rotation with Chartwells two weeks ago, I have had nothing but a pleasant experience. This rotation is a part of my Dietetics Internship program which has been occurring virtually due to the pandemic. However, I am very thankful for Chartwells for accepting me as an intern during this unprecedented time and provided me with the opportunity to obtain some in-person experience. I was very impressed with the team’s organization regarding assisting me with my internship. Before starting the rotation, I received an email from the resident’s district manager, Mr. Paul Johnson, which contained an excel sheet with all the activities and the name of the staff members I needed to reach out to gather the necessary information for each assignment. His thoughtful action helped me to have a better understanding of the staff members responsibilities before meeting them and gave me an understanding of the dynamic of the facility, yet it facilitated the information gathering process.

This rotation has helped me experience and appreciate the importance of an efficient team to build a functional organization in foodservice. Even though I have been at Florida International University (FIU) for years now, I never fully realized all the work and effort required to offer a high-quality service especially during this time that requires extraordinary food handling precautions with the risk of spreading COVID-19 ever looming. I have witnessed this team making every effort to ensure all the necessary actions are made to meet the protocols regarding food safety while serving food to the students and faculty members on campus. This rotation not only is helping me learn the behind the scene procedures in food service, but it also gave me an understanding of the importance of good team management skills even during an unusual time. The Chartwells family at FIU have been extremely helpful throughout this process and they have been patiently explaining different plans, policies, and the flow of the workplace as well as answering my endless questions. During this rotation I had also had the opportunity to be involved in a catering process for a football game at FIU which has been a unique experience for me. In addition, I have had the chance to closely work with Lydia, Josue, Renata, Alejandro, and Edmond who have been very generous with sharing their knowledge and experience and have been walking me through everything I need to know.

Additionally, after speaking to my Dietetic Internship Director, Dr. Enrione, she stated that the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition is grateful to Mr. Paul Johnson and Chartwells for the support they have given our program during the pandemic especially with limited resources. It has provided a fantastic opportunity for our intern, Padideh, and we look forward to continuing the relationship in the future.

REDUCING WASTE FROM MY DAILY USE ITEMS by Wifredo M at UMBC

If you have ever asked yourself this question, then you’re already on the right track to reduce waste from daily use items. If you haven’t, but you’re reading this anyways, I hope you can learn a little bit about how easy it is to be sustainable!

Step #1: Ditch the straw

It is surprisingly easy to go “straw-less” on campus, given that all of the cups that you can get from a meal deal are compostable and you can also carry a reusable bottle to refill at a water fountain. By simply “ditching the straw”, we can help reduce the amount of plastic straws that are dumped into the ocean and threaten the wellbeing of marine life.

Step #2: Reuse

If you’ve ever felt bad about having to buy a new container, you can purchase reusable water bottles to keep the waste down as well as personalize your own items. They vary in size, purpose, color, design and overall structure properties, making sure you can find a perfect one that suits your day to day needs.

Step #3: Help locally

If you want to see a change globally, the first place to start is local. Look around and see if there are any organizations that help with recycling, any community events and if not you can even start your own and lead the way to show the community how to keep our environment clean. In our UMBC community you can contact the Food Recovery Network student organization to get involved.

Robotic Rollout at University of Houston

University of Houston Supply Chain and Data Analytics Interns, Adi V. and Rami D. led analytics efforts on the launch of the Starship Robot delivery on campus. Check out the scope of their project!   

There’s been a lot of buzz around the Starship Robots on campus. Tell us about your involvement.   

The main goal of our project was to streamline the communication between the Starship Launch Team and our Restaurant Managers. Our role focused on ensuring the menu functionality of the application for Starship matched and worked seamlessly with the 11 outlet operations as well as to identify issues and gaps during the test period and resolve them.

Wow, 11 locations, how did you tackle the scope of the work?

We utilized the existing data of each location to predict how much volume and times per day the deliveries would peak and valley and then communicated with the operators and robot runners to staff accordingly. Also, under our mentor’s guidance, we had a chance to lead the operations by recruiting runners, making schedules, analyzing the busiest locations and making sure that they had adequate coverage at all times.

Very impressive. Sounds like a lot of analysis and forecasting. How did your role in this rollout relate to your internship?

One major task we faced was designing the menus because it was a system different from the current POS. We had to import all the data, exercise good data handling practices, clean the data, reorganize it according to the restaurant managers needs and transfer it to the Starship- Robot Delivery team. Our position as Supply Chain and Data Analytics Interns has prepared us to do this.

So, how has it been since the launch?

Starship- Robot Delivery was a huge hit. Our attention to detail and continuous auditing of the service and experience led to a successful launch day of 477 deliveries on campus with minimal issues. And in the first week, we served 2,324 orders which was a massive addition to revenue. Together, we have worked on weekly summaries as well as a comparative analysis to identify the financial impact of the program across the campus which is shared with corporate and regional leadership so that they can understand and use this information for new account launches.

The launch was regarded across the campus as very successful and Chartwells was lauded. The press and social media attention garnered from this initiative had a reach of 47 million potential views.

Leading Community Efforts and Baking People Happy

Marketing Intern Elsie Magwire, from Northeast Community College, embodies our Community pillar this holiday season by leading a Give Back initiative.

Giving back to the community can be done in many ways. Thankfully, one way I can invest in the community is through my work. My name is Elsie Magwire and I am a marketing intern at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, NE. In my time with Chartwells at Northeast, I have been able to participate in the operations of the company on many levels. Recently, I was able to be a part of Northeast Chartwells giving back to the community of Norfolk.

I assisted with the donation of cookies to the Noon Optimist Club of Norfolk on November 19. These cookies were for their annual Thanksgiving dinner for underprivileged children and families in the community. This Thanksgiving meal provides community members in need with the opportunity to enjoy the holiday in a way they might not otherwise be able to.

Representing our company, school, and community in this way reminds me that business and marketing is not always about financial statements and social media posts. Involvement, connections, and relationships in the community are so important at every level. Being able to experience the simple joy of making a small difference in someone’s life is why I love being part of Chartwells.

Spartan Eats Interns and the World's Largest Food Truck

The crown of “World’s Largest Mobile Kitchen” has officially been taken from Florida State University by our newest build for San Jose State University, The Powerhouse Kitchen. This beast is no joke measuring in at 69’ long. It comes fully equipped with a massive commercial kitchen suited for the highest caliber chefs and cuisine. Placed atop the trailer is a 16’ retractable jumbotron screen that will be used to display live footage of the food being cooked inside, to broadcast live SJSU athletics or anything else for that matter. The team at Spartan Eats is familiar with utilizing food trucks inside of the mobile dining arena and they are excited to take on the new and occasionally daunting endeavor of operating the World’s Largest Mobile Kitchen. 

The Powerhouse Kitchen will be used to host events that center on engagement and creating memorable experiences for both the University and the City of San Jose along with surrounding communities. Spartan Eats also plans to enhance the Spartan tailgate experience during the football season at their CEFCU Stadium. The team is eager and awaiting the Powerhouse Kitchen to arrive at SJSU as it will allow them to use an all-in-one vehicle that gives them the ability to cook and entertain. The size of the vehicle provides adequate space for a range of culinary styles while the design of the main platform creates a stage for a cooking competition and other events that can all be screened live through the jumbotron. 

The biggest goal for the Powerhouse Kitchen is to instill a sense of Spartan Pride in the community. Through the Chartwells Higher Education Student Success program, Spartan Eats had the honor of working with an SJSU Graphic Design students and other SJSU alumni to design the graphical elements of the Powerhouse Kitchen. Community involvement allows for the expansion of Spartan Pride.

The biggest challenge that the Spartan Eats Team will need to overcome is how to navigate and operate such a large vehicle on SJSU’s small, urban campus. In order to conquer this problem, Spartan Eats is working closely with the University to determine the best routes for the Powerhouse Kitchen to take, specific weight capacities regarding the vehicle, and other factors that will ensure the best possible experience for all Powerhouse Kitchen patrons.

Whether it’s a football game or a culinary event, be on the lookout for the new World’s Largest Kitchen. You never know when this beast will roll into your city.

Save the Planet: Consider Meatless Mondays

By now, I am sure that most of you have heard of Meatless Monday. This trend began in the early 1900s as a way to save food for soldiers, and it was brought back in 2003 in order to save the environment. Removing meat, even for just one meal, can have a huge effect on the environment and human health. On average, Americans eat more than 200 lbs of meat per year--49% of Americans eat meat daily. If you are in need of an informational push to participate in Meatless Mondays, here are some not-so-fun facts:

Environmental Health

• A meat based diet requires 7 times more land than a plant based diet

• 50% of corn is grown for livestock

• 70% of Amazon forest has been deforested for grazing

• Livestock  production uses about ⅓ of the world’s freshwater

• Livestock production accounts for 18% more CO2 emissions than transportation

• Livestock production accounts for 65% of human related nitrous oxide release

Human Health

• Too much red meat has been associated with human heart issues

• Cattle raised on a grass fed diet have 2 grams of saturated fat per ounce of meat, factory farmed cattle have about 10 grams of saturated fat per ounce

• The percentage of meat farmed in factory farms is about: 95% of pigs, 78% of cattle and 99.9% of chickens

• Hormones and antibiotics are often given to farm animals in order to head off any illness from living in close quarters with little outdoor access and abnormal diets. These hormones and antibiotics have been found in humans who consume these products.

Overall, meat is simply not an efficient use of agriculture. When converting nutrients from plants into meat product, the ratio is about six to one. Beef tends to be the least environmentally friendly meat because it produces twice the emissions of pork, four times the emissions of chicken, and thirteen times the emissions of vegetable protein. Emissions aside, meat production accounts for so much environmental damage, such as: topsoil erosion, water pollution, soil degradation, and execution of native carnivores. All things considered, we throw away about 20% of the meat that we produce.

When debating whether giving up meat for one day per week is worth it, think of this: If you participated in Meatless Monday for one whole year, this would have the same reduction in your carbon footprint as not driving your car for one whole month. So, I challenge all of you to kick off Earth Month by pledging to try Meatless Mondays during April!  

Why I Care About Fair by Olivia B.

For two days in February I joined a group of Chartwells interns from around the country in Immokalee, Florida to visit the headquarters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers was organized by a set of Florida tomato laborers during the 90’s. The Coalition continues to fight to this day to ensure the fair treatment and compensation of tomato labors in Florida. The CIW created a certification called “fair food”, which farms can only gain if they meet the regulatory standards set by the CIW. Compass, along with multiple other large companies like Aramark, Sodexo, Walmart, Whole foods, Trader Joe's, Chipotle, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway have signed on to purchase only tomatoes grown in the U.S. and only fair food tomatoes, if they purchase from Florida. Since Florida produces upwards of 80% of all Winter tomatoes in the U.S., many of these companies will automatically have to purchase from a fair food farm. The movement that the Coalition continues to build is astounding. The leaders of CIW use their platform to continue to pressure large companies, like Wendy’s and Public’s, to sign on to the agreement, and to expand the fair food program to include more farms and a larger variety of crops, including those located in other states. They also continue to inform other laborers on how to successfully organize for their rights. For example, a set of dairy workers in Vermont won a right’s campaign, known as Milk With Dignity, based off of the CIW’s campaign model.

Through the fair food program, laborers gain around a penny more per pound of tomatoes they collect, to increase their wages. Laborers also have access to a 24 hour hotline that always answers the call to report complaints. Every complaint is reviewed and a resolved by the Fair Foods Standards Council (FFSC). The third party agricultural monitoring system is the only one in operation in the entire of the U.S.. Additionally, The FFSC completes randomized, intensive audits to ensure farms meet the fair food standards. Any farm will lose its status as a fair food farm if they refuse to fire farm supervisors who are perpetrators of sexual or physical assault, or use slave labor. The CIW is comprised of an dedicated team that could change the entire nature of the agriculture and food industry. I am very thankful that I had opportunity to go meet with the laborers and organizers, and believe that everyone who cares about farm laborers rights should support the CIW in the capacity that they can. The trip strengthened my devotion to improving Northwestern’s sourcing. It was great to see how the Northwestern sustainability team’s actions directly support the liberation efforts of farm workers.

There are many ways to support the CIW including, boycotting Wendy’s and Public’s, joining a protest near you, or donating to the organization’s efforts. To help, or to become more informed, check out their website: https://ciw-online.org/

Also, look out for Compass Farm Worker’s Awareness Week events, which will take place throughout the first week of April!

Fair Food Movement + What You Can Do by Liz Y.

Hi everyone! I’m Liz Young, one of Chartwells’ marketing interns. Last month, I was given the opportunity to visit the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) Headquarters in Imokalee, Florida. On February 11th, I packed up my things and headed out to meet seven other Chartwells interns from across the U.S. with focuses in sustainability and marketing. I had no idea what this trip would entail, but it changed my perspective on a very important topic of human rights that I can’t wait to share with you.

To put things in perspective… Do you ever grocery shop at Walmart? Grab food from Taco Bell, McDonald’s or Chipotle? If you do, listen up! You’re apart of something bigger than what’s on your plate. Did you know that these places are partners with the Fair Food Program (FFP)?

Fair Food Program

So, what’s the FFP? The FFP (born in 2001) is a movement that brings human rights to the agricultural fields. This partnership between the world’s largest tomato buyers, farmers and farm workers establishes standards of humane working conditions and fair wages. It has made a huge impact on tomato farms all across Florida, as well as many other states on the east coast. The FFP holds their partnering farms and corporations accountable for unfair working conditions and provides practices of social responsibility. Some of the inequity that is happening on these farms are harassment, forced labor and unfair wage pay for farm workers. According to FFP’s Code of Conduct (http://www.fairfoodstandards.org/resources/fair-food-code-of-conduct/), a farm must follow the standards built on equality. The Code of Conduct and accountability from the Fair Food Council is truly what makes this movement stand out among the rest. Both, make sure that the partnering buyers are not just signing a piece of paper. They’re agreeing to pay a premium of an extra “penny per pound” for their tomatoes to support workers’ wages, provide on-the-field training, educate workers of their human rights through a video and brochure and last but not least, provide a place where workers feel safe to report offenses. The CIW is demanding change in the fields, and they’re taking action to establish fairness for every worker.

Since 2011, the FFP has partnered with 14 multi-billion dollar corporations, some including: Chartwells (Compass Group), Walmart, Taco Bell and McDonald’s. 90% of tomato farms in Florida partner with the FFP. Since the partnership, over $26 million dollars have been paid in premiums and 2,000 workers complaints have been resolved. The CIW has made large leaps in social responsibilities with tomato farms, but what about the farms growing all of the other produce on our plates or the other million dollar corporations selling our produce? This is where our voice and our time comes in.

My visit to the CIW Headquarters has sparked something inside of me. Since my return to campus, I have taken the initiative to educate the University of Arkansas community, and take pride in the fact that our campus dining (Chartwells) is supporting social responsibility. On the other hand, realizing that this is only the beginning of the movement. Right now, the FFP reaches select tomato farms in the east coast. Our generation is going to be the voice of change for farms across not only the east, but across the U.S.

Farmworker Awareness Week

Farmworker Awareness Week (March 24 – March 31) provides an opportunity for our campus, as well as other Chartwells’ campuses in the U.S. to honor the significant contributions of farmworkers, bring attention to exploitation and increase awareness of the FFP to extend its reach. During this week, our campus will be highlighting this initiative through social media trivia (March 25), tabling at Brough during Chef Night (March 27), hosting a special Teaching Kitchen involving tomatoes (March 28), giving away t-shirts and stickers and so much more. We’ll be using the hashtag #iCareAboutFair, and we want you to join in! For more information about how you can be involved and keep up with everything that’s going on, check out our social media @FoodontheHill. Help us change the lives of farm workers across America!

Trivia Night Brings Clarion Campus Community Together by Olivia K.

The best way to bring a community together? Bring out their competitive side. At Clarion University, we host a Trivia Night at The Den once a semester to test the knowledge of our students. This event is entirely planned and executed by our marketing intern, Olivia. All students know that the tail-end of the semester can cause a lot of stress, that’s why we take a night to let all of our frustrations go with some good food and trivia. This event allows for students, faculty, clubs, and the community to come together as equals and have some fun while answering trivia questions! Our contestants love when the trivia questions are based on both pop culture, and Clarion University specific trivia. Recently, we’ve gotten our campus clubs involved too! November Trivia is being co-hosted by the American Marketing Association and getting even more students involved. In the future, we would like to see even more club and staff participation in this event, which could include Students vs. Professors, Greek Life Trivia, or even competitions between recognized student organizations. No matter what the prizes are, participants always love to come out and give it their best shot.

Learning Garden Labs at Portland State University by Chelsea J.

PSU Eats partners with the Learning Gardens Laboratory (LGL) to support and promote their program - as well as to source locally grown, sustainable produce grown by Portland State University students.  The Learning Gardens Lab supports academic achievement, leadership development, and local sustainable food systems by providing multicultural, interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and experiential garden-based education for public school students and their families, university students, and community members.  In addition to featuring their produce at Smith’s Kitchen’s Simply Puur salad and grain bar.

This year we initiated the inaugural “Farm to Fork” Fundraising Dinner held at the LGL to promote and highlight our ongoing relationship.  The event was a huge success.  Tickets sold out, and guests were more than pleased - providing feedback that the price should be raised next year.  Executive Chef Matt prepared a multi-course meal and appetizer stations with produce harvested by the PSU Capstone students.  Each appetizer station featuring  was also an educational location highlighting a different aspect of the program.  After the opening reception guest enjoyed a three course meal featuring shaved zucchini, prosciutto, tomatillos, arugula, spicy olive dressing with a wild mushroom and burrata bruschetta, French lamb stew with root vegetables and chocolate dipped fruit.

PSUEats also supported the LGL recently at their annual Harvest event, preparing vegan soup made with vegetables from the garden.  Our sustainability coordinator Mark Harris and intern Chelsea Jehle attended the event and did a salad demonstration utilizing kale, peppers, beets, garlic and shallots picked that day by Capstone students. There was a cider station, apple tasting, multiple educational tables, and music.  It was well attended by volunteers and community members.  We look forward to continuing our developing relationship and support of the LGL in the coming years. 

A Fresh Look into Spartan Dining’s Garden

Previous Intern now MIT, Alex C. works with the UNCG Culinary and Marketing team in the campus community garden

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1.      Is the garden mostly herbs?  Are you increasing the vegetables you grow?

o   We have a mixture of 12 different herbs, vegetables and wildflowers to help support our Chartwells sustainability efforts. Our green and red peppers are used in the Fountain View Dining Hall, and the herbs are used at all of our dining locations for seasoning, sauces and garnishes.

2.      Who runs the garden? How many hours does it take and how many people help him? Who helps him?

o   The garden was a combination of effort from our Culinary Chefs and their dining team, and our Marketing Intern, Alex Cornett. Campus Executive Chef, Ted Donnelly, helps to maintain and water the garden with the help of Alex and the rest of the dining team. The garden signs and funny puns were designed and executed by Marketing Director, Jackie Heller, with the help of Alex.

3.      Do you know how much less packaging you use thanks to the garden?

o   We reduced our packaging of herbs and spices by 20%.

4.      Are the plots near the kitchens? Do chefs just go out and snip what they need

o   Yes, the garden is right outside of the Fountain View Dining Hall and our culinary team snips the herbs at the beginning of each day to ensure they have enough for each meal.

5.      For the “snip your own herb stations,” are these herbs that have already been cut, and they’re displayed in the dining rooms for guests to help themselves?

o   Yes, the snip your own is available for students in the dining hall

6.      Are the flowers picked and used in dining halls or simply to make the gardens pretty?

o   We use the wildflowers for display in many of our stations to add color and create a natural looking atmosphere, we even decorate our marketing tables with fresh herbs and flowers. Last year, we participated in Ellen Degeneres’ “Bring Back the Bees” where we planted wildflowers in our garden to support our local bee population. 

7.      What was the cost in getting the gardens up and running?

o   Luckily for us, the garden plot was already there but we spent several hundred dollars on gardening tools, equipment and signage.

8.      Any plans for expansion?

o   We are planning to plant more seasonal vegetables such as kale and lettuce that we can use in the Dining Hall. But the size is perfect for us to manage.

9.      How do you let students know what you are doing?

o   We advertise with a big banner over the garden reading “Spartan Dining’s Garden, from our garden to your table” to emphasize our fresh grown ingredients.

How did you hear about an internship at Chartwells?

I learned about the internship at Chartwells via my school's career services. I received an email regarding an open position in the marketing department and was ecstatic to apply right away! I knew that I wanted to be part of a great company that was involved in the food industry. With my underlying passion for food, I applied and interviewed for the position after returning home from my previous marketing internship in Los Angeles. The following week I received a call to say that I got the job and thus started immediately before the 2017 Fall semester at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro!

Tell us about your experience

My experience as an intern with Chartwells has been nothing but great. They have provided the opportunities to learn and grow within their company. Chartwells has a plan for just about everything! They provide the resources and materials necessary to succeed in the internship program. During my experience, I have worked alongside numerous amount of people, with diverse backgrounds and expertise, each teaching me something new along the way.

One accomplishment during my internship that has made an impact has been redesigning the herb garden outside UNCG’s dining hall.  Working with the chefs and students on campus, we replanted herbs and flowers in the garden to better promote our sustainability efforts. The dining hall uses the herbs daily for meals and seasonal dishes. Students are able to walk by the garden and see first-hand where the herbs are being sourced from.

What is your advice for those who are looking for an internship? 

My advice for those who are interested in any type of internship is to get involved as early as possible. Take advantage of any opportunity that is thrown at you. Believe me when I say that the more skills and experience you have early on, the more you will stand out against other applicants for an open position. Working in an internship position allows you to expand your horizons to try new things that some jobs might not offer. An internship is a great way to begin the transition to a full-time job post-graduation.

Why did I choose to become an MIT?

I chose to become an MIT because of the countless opportunities and positions available with Chartwells. I knew before applying that I wanted to be surrounded by inspiring people who make coming to work fun.  Having a passion for food, I felt this was a step in the right direction. Chartwells provides all the necessary resources to set yourself up for success. One thing that I look forward to in the MIT program is being able to learn more about the company and what I plan to do after the program. By working alongside my colleagues in different departments, I plan to have a better understanding of which areas best suit my skill set and where I can truly make an impact.

Any last thoughts?

No matter what you plan to do in life, always strive to do your best! Take advantage of any opportunity and always go the extra mile.  The Chartwells internship program is a great way to set yourself up for success as they provide the necessary resources to do so. I hope that you make the most out of your experiences and always remember to work hard. Best of luck in your future endeavors!

My Marketing Internship Experience- Jessica, Babson College

My name is Jessica Jean-Baptiste and I am currently a junior at Babson College. I am concentrating in Marketing, and I have a passion for entrepreneurship. I started as the Marketing intern for Roger’s Pub in September of 2017 and in my time in this positon so far I have learned so much. Getting to understand the Babson population and catering to their needs through our Pop up Tables and discount promotions has been an integral part of my job duties.

Here at Babson I participate in a variety of activities outside of my internship. I am currently captain of the women’s rugby club, a resident assistant and a student mentor. It was through Morgan, (previous Chartwells intern) that I was introduced to the Roger’s Pub Marketing Internship, she is also a resident assistant and plays rugby as well! This goes to show the amazing networking opportunities that can exist within your immediate circle of friends.

As a student mentor I teach entrepreneurship to middle school students in the city of Framingham and the relationships I have formed with these kids in incomparable.  All of the skills I am learning in this marketing internship transfer into all aspects of my life. Building relationships with students, studying and understanding their wants and needs are things that I truly enjoy to do. I am thrilled to learn more and gain greater skill through this internship.

My Student Success Internship Experience, by Julian @ Montclair State University

Hello my name is Julian, and I have been a Student Success Marketing Intern for Chartwells at Montclair State University for the past two years and what a journey it has been! My experience interning with Chartwells has taught me so many important professional skills as well as life skills throughout my time with the company. I will forever be grateful for the amount of amazing people I have met here and the lessons they have taught me.

I started off working with the company going into my junior year and had no real direction in terms of my career. Our Marketing Manager, Lindsey, was my first real mentor and she has helped me grow and develop my professional skills over the past two years. It is safe to say that I would not be where I am right now if it wasn’t for her guidance and mentorship.

Throughout my time here I have been assigned many different projects and events that I was responsible for managing. It is difficult to choose which one was my favorite but some of the projects that I feel are the most memorable include The Guest Satisfaction Survey, Be A Star and the various graphic design projects I have been assigned.

The Guest Satisfaction Survey table taught me the importance of market research and the positive impact it can have if the information is properly applied. This project taught me how to communicate with consumers in a professional manner and also taught me the importance of time management. Be A Star was another project I began managing my senior year and it has taught me to always be aware of deadlines and also gave me the experience of managing a corporate responsibility.

Lastly, the many graphic design projects I was given has developed my graphic design skills exponentially since I started with the company two years ago. I barely knew how to use Photoshop when I first started and now I know how to use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. These three projects have taught me so many skills and I am proud to say that I was able to stay on top of them.

I was offered an opportunity to work over the summer after graduating and assist with the marketing responsibilities while our Marketing Manager was out for maternity leave. I would love to work for Chartwells after the summer ends, whether it be at a new account or at Montclair. I truly value what the company stands for and hope to further develop my career within Compass. I aspire to one day become the Marketing Manager of a large account within Chartwells!

Some advice from me to any new Student Success Interns is to never stop asking questions and to never stop wanting to learn more. Go above and beyond what is asked of you, you never know who will notice. Whether it be your RDM, Client, or Director of Operations, they will notice the effort you put in and that can go a long way. Good luck to all of you!

#teamwork

STOP-FOOD-WASTE-DAY, by Jon, Student Success @ Purchase College

Stop Food Waste Day was not only a great success, but also an important first step in understanding food waste and communicating on campus. My goal for the event was to have the message behind Stop Food Waste Day resonate with at least one student and that hope was soon exceeded. By talking to students throughout the day I found that the Purchase Community supports a sustainable way to deal with food waste. This was a big part for me
because an event and idea like this can’t get traction without the public's support.

The day started out well. My boss, Jesuina, and myself set up the station in Purchase Dining Hall, also known as D-Hall. We put out the buttons and stickers we had, set up the bins with
garbage bags and posted signage telling people to throw their food waste in the bins.

At 9:30am the doors opened for Breakfast and students started to slowly but surely file into D-Hall. Students asked about the event and took part in removing their waste into the bins to be weighed. As the day went on and we collected more waste, people started to ask what this was all about. I talked to them about how we were trying to raise awareness for conscious consumption of food on campus and hopefully move Purchase in a sustainable direction. This resonated with people and one or two even asked why Purchase didn’t already compost all their food waste or have composting be more accessible on campus. This led to conversations about The Rocket and how much compost it can process, what more composting on campus would entail and how another big part of this is that only taking what you can eat decreases the amount of waste produced.

In all we didn’t waste as much food as I initially thought. Over the course of Breakfast and Lunch we wasted about 40 lb. of food. We were lucky in the sense that we saw a decrease in food waste for that day but are also aware that that was only one day of a whole school year.

The day ended with bringing all waste we had collected to the Rocket to be process by Michael,  Purchase College's Compost Master. This was an important first step towards a more sustainable Purchase. Being a conscious consumer of food can be achieved and become the norm on campus.

In my vision, I see a Purchase community with compost bins scattered around campus, in Residential Halls, in apartments and in all the Food Courts on campus. My vision for a more sustainable Purchase requires hard work and a community taking part, but is none the less attainable.

Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to our Student Success BLOG!! My name is Bari Marchfeld, and I am the Director of Student Success for Chartwells Higher Education. I'm pretty sure I have one of the most fun jobs on my team, since I get to work with our leadership teams, students and academic partners to ensure success for all... definitely a win-win-win!

Having a degree in education, and a past teaching fifth grade, I really enjoy taking my student engagement to the next level, which is helping them prepare for their future careers! I make sure my teams and I really understand what student need to stay on track to graduating on time, and how our organization can help them achieve their dreams while still in school through paid internships, and then after. 

Throughout the school year, I spend majority of my time out in the field at our 280+ accounts, meeting with our interns, visiting classrooms and ensuring that the Student Success program is as consistent, relevant and easy for our managers to implement. My favorite part is definitely hanging with the interns, seeing them in action and learning about all of their ideas playing out successfully in our business.

I'm looking forward to sharing all of our stories on this blog so that you can get a true feeling of the Student Success community. You will also hear from our interns, our manager and interns who have graduated and our now our leaders. If you would like to talk to me about any questions or ideas, please reach out anytime: bari.marchfeld@compass-usa.com

This was such an exciting evening! Alex (in the middle) is one of our first Student Success interns to graduate and officially get hired to join our team! Welcome to Chartwells at Southern Connecticut State University Alex!! Her Regional Marketing Director Stephanie (on the left) was there to join us as Alex received a Presidential Circle award from out CEO Lisa.

I am always amazed at the schedules and accomplishments of our interns! Morgan is our very talented intern at Babson College and she is just awesome. She completes multiple internships to keep her options open while going to college and being an RA. Her opportunities will definitely be endless! Good luck on your senior year!

Another exciting day for me in the field! This was a great day spent at the University of Miami with our marketing intern, Megan. Megan was helping us shoot some video footage for a top secret project... learn more about it when you spot the project in another Blog post :) Megan also graduated from The University of Miami this year and was an amazing Student Success marketing intern. She has officially been hired as the new UM marketing manager!! Congratulations Megan!! 

As the Director of Student Success, I get the opportunity to support our sales team pretty frequently. I share our Student Success mission, opportunities and stories.... as well as wear matching outfits with our CEO Lisa when we are ready to relax and show school spirit on our way home :) #wewon

#dreamteam !!! This was that fun day at The University of Miami, and Megan and her mentor Amanda are definitely a dynamic duo. This photo calls for two congratulation shotouts: Congratulations on your promotion Amanda to the West coast Chartwells Region, and Congratulations Megan who will be taking over in Amanda's role as the Marketing Manager at the University of Miami!

Another well deserved award! Jackie was our Student Success marketing intern at the University of North Florida. She is the Golf Cart Karaoke creator, and an all around amazing person. Congratulations on your new role as marketing manager at UNF and congratulations on your presidential circle award!

I absolutely love getting to visit students in their classroom. I do this frequently, but do not go with the objective of recruiting them. I share my story and usually bring some colleagues with me. I just want them to know that the Chartwells and Compass Group organization is right here on campus, and their are so many opportunities for them, from paid, relevant internships to support graduating on time... to succession planning and having a position as soon as you graduate!

Who says you cant have fun with your kitchen equipment! A group of students and I played around with other ways to use bowls and become comfortable with your cooking equipment! #workhardplayhard

I got to experience two very important "firsts" with Makayla... her first time on an airplane as we traveled across the country to San Fran, and here is her first career fair. She and I worked closely to find her dream culinary career!

This was such a fun day! Katherine was a Facilities Management/ Construction Science student at Texas A&M who completed her internship over the summer at Florida Gulf Coast University. I got a chance to see all of the projects she was working on with her mentor Gary and their entire team. #yougogirl

One of the best parts about being in the higher education world is that I still get to learn something new everyday! Here I am with a group of students at one of our partners headquarters in San Fran. We are learning about a country who needs more nutritious food sources, and are about to go play in the kitchen to test our culinary skills and create these nutritious meals.... well their culinary skills! I cheered them on and wished I had their talents. #just

It is always a wonderful experience to work with some of our international Student Success interns. This is Shashank and his mentor Derik. Shashank was a graduate student in the Texas A&M Facilities Management program, and he completed his internship at a few schools in Minnesota. Derik and I still receive emails about how Shashank applies what he learned back in India on his job sites.

This was my first time to York College, and I was thrilled to meet this group of hospitality students with Michael, one of my colleagues. This group had so many great questions and I know there are a bunch of future Student Success interns in this group! #goodluck