Youth Market: Evaluation of a Paid Summer Internship to Promote Food Justice in Northern Manhattan.

This article evaluates Youth Market, a paid 8-week summer internship engaging 16- to 22-year-olds in Northern Manhattan in food justice activities such as managing farm stands, leading nutrition workshops, and distributing food to families facing food insecurity. Using matched pre–post surveys and a 1-year follow-up, the program demonstrated significant improvements in interns’ nutrition knowledge, confidence in sharing healthy eating and food insecurity resources, fruit and vegetable consumption, and community connectedness. Interns, predominantly Hispanic youth interested in health-related careers, reported personal growth in communication, teamwork, and professional development, with sustained gains in food justice knowledge and community engagement at follow-up. The program highlights a positive youth development approach that supports both youth empowerment and community health promotion in a culturally diverse urban setting.