By helping your campus make the shift to plant-centered food, you are helping foster a broader cultural shift towards more sustainable, inclusive, and plant-based food services on campuses and beyond.
The DefaultVeg Student Ambassador Program is for changemakers (like you!) who want to bring the Plant-Based Food by Default movement to their university. Equipped with essential tools and guidance, ambassadors are empowered to engage in positive engagement with university stakeholders, dining staff, student clubs, departments, cafe owners, and campus restaurant owners, to advocate for the adoption of plant-based defaults. Our approach emphasizes collaboration over confrontation, which is popular because it preserves freedom of choice, and works anywhere food is served, from a dorm room party to a dining hall. Most importantly, many DefaultVeg Student Ambassadors have had a huge impact on campus food systems.
By helping your campus make the shift to climate-smart plant-forward food, you are helping foster a broader cultural shift towards more sustainable, inclusive and sustainable food services on campuses and beyond.
Sign upThe program provides students with a structured internship to advocate for Plant-Based Food by Default on campuses. Students of any experience level can join, as the process is tailored to individual needs. Ambassadors can expect to improve their research, communication, advocacy, negotiation, project management, and leadership skills throughout the program. We will guide students each step of the way with online training, webinars, research and data, 1-on1 meetings, and many more resources. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to connect and learn with other students working on similar projects all across the world via our online platform, Circle. The student internship includes a $500 Program Grant, for completion of the projects.
There next deadline to apply for the DefaultVeg Internship Program is May 1, 2025. Upon joining, participants can anticipate receiving guided actions, beneficial resources, on-going training sessions, open office hours for individualized support, and a $500 Program Grant, for completion of the projects.
Join these inspiring students who are creating a resilient food norm on their campuses.
Parker Do worked to bring DefaultVeg to the Bruin Model United Nations conference, making delicious plant-based meals the norm for over 2,000 participants. Meanwhile, Hannah Hughes spearheaded the introduction of an oat milk default policy at Pitzer College, alongside piloting a similar initiative at Pomona College. Lauren Walcott and Alena Baker made waves at Northwestern University by successfully advocating for DefaultVeg across more than 20 student clubs and departments. Their persistent efforts contributed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and environmental awareness around food on campus.
If you’re ready to join the Summer 2025 Internship Program, send your resume and cover letter via email to [email protected] and fill out the form below by the deadline on May 1, 2025. (There are no application deadlines for capstones, grad students or service learning opportunities.)
If you’d like to integrate the DefaultVeg Student Ambassador Program with your school’s internship program, service learning, or community service requirements, please contact Kenzie at [email protected].
If you’re a professor interested in incorporating our Service Learning Module into your course curriculum, please contact Kenzie at [email protected]. Developed by faculty at the University of San Diego Center for Food Systems Transformation, this module is be available and updated frequently. The curriculum is focused on supporting students to enhance their research and critical thinking skills by exploring behavioral science and our food systems.