Profile

The Rome Sustainable Food Project (RSFP), launched in 2006 by Alice Waters and Mona Talbott, continues to define farm-to-table excellence—nourishing scholarship, creativity, and community at the American Academy in Rome through seasonal, sustainably-sourced cuisine. 
More than a communal kitchen, the RSFP is a hands-on classroom: interns and visiting cooks train alongside American and Italian staff, preparing two daily meals for around 120–180 residents and guests. They dive into seasonal Italian and Roman culinary traditions, composting, zero-waste techniques, root-to-leaf cooking, and commune learning through twice-daily menu meetings. 
 

The RSFP kitchen is a space of learning as much as nourishment. Cooks, interns, and visiting guests work side by side to prepare two meals a day for Fellows, Residents, staff, and visitors. The daily rhythm includes garden harvests, prep work, shared meals, and conversations around the menu—turning food preparation into a collaborative act of education and culture.

The internship lasts 5 ½ months, from January to July. Interns train on average forty hours per week with two full days off.

Schedules may vary week to week so that interns have the opportunity to train both morning (between 7:00am and 4:30pm) and evening (between 12:30 and 10:00pm) shifts. Shift times, however, do vary with a given day’s work load and interns are expected to contribute as needed.

Intern responsibilities include: cooking, cleaning, composting and recycling kitchen waste, organizing inventory (to name a few). Interns become involved in practically every aspect of the working kitchen. As interns are increasingly experienced, they take full responsibility for dishes from prep to plate.

The RSFP internship position is paid with a small benefit. For some of the internship slots, room and board are provided.

application deadline is September 8, 2025.