Project Dates: June – November 2026

Research Project Title: Strengthening National School Food Advocacy: Co-Developing a National Brand and Communications System for the Coalition for Healthy School Food

Shumka Centre is seeking two qualified communication design students for Research Assistant (RA) positions with the Shumka x Coalition for Healthy School Food industry research project running from June to November 2026. RAs will work up to 11-12 hours per week for 23 weeks in a hybrid format with some work/meetings being done in-person in Vancouver and some remotely.

This project is a collaboration with collaboration with the Farm to Cafeteria Society’s Coalition for Healthy School Food initiative (CHSF)—and investigates how brand identity and visual communication design can strengthen national advocacy networks in moments of policy transition and growth.

RAs will form an innovative design research team led by ECU faculty and research staff, Cemre Demiralp, Sahil Mroke, and Priyanka Poulose, collaborating directly with CHSF’s multi-stakeholder team to co-develop a cohesive visual identity and communication system aligned with CHSF’s updated strategic direction.

Between June to November 2026, student research assistants (RAs) will work in phased sprints moving from research and analysis through to development and application, collaborating with a multi-stakeholder team to design cohesive visual systems that can be applied across campaigns, digital platforms, and organizational materials for CHSF.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain real-world industry experience in brand identity design, visual systems development, and applied research within a nonprofit context. RAs will be embedded in a collaborative process with CHSF and get hands-on training in emerging approaches in design for advocacy, public engagement, and multi-stakeholder communication environments, preparing students to work in nonprofit, public sector, and design contexts requiring systems thinking and collaborative practice.

View the full call on The Leeway
Deadline to Apply: 11:59 PM PT on June 03, 2026

Role

• Meet regularly with the Research team to establish project deliverables and working processes, and work collaboratively to solve creative and technical challenges;
• Meet regularly with CHSF project partners and stakeholders to ensure that the work aligns with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations (both in-person and virtually);
• Work in phased sprints contributing to research, visual identity development, and systems design activities as outlined in the project timeline;
• Conduct visual and precedent research related to nonprofit branding, advocacy networks, public engagement, and multi-stakeholder communication systems;
• Assist with audits and analysis of existing CHSF visual assets, campaigns, digital platforms, and communication materials;
• Develop moodboards, visual territories, typography explorations, layout systems, and identity concepts aligned with CHSF’s updated strategic direction;
• Contribute to the development of flexible visual systems and templates for digital, print, campaign, and presentation contexts;
• Integrate feedback from faculty and project partners through milestone critiques, Steering Committee reviews, and iterative revision cycles;
• Organize and document digital files according to project standards, accessibility considerations, and timelines;
• Contribute to final documentation and a closing presentation sharing outcomes and learnings with project stakeholders in November 2026.

Eligible undergraduate students may also apply to receive work experience credit for participating.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the project, RAs should be able to:

• Apply iterative branding and visual identity methods within a real-world nonprofit and advocacy context;
• Conduct design research exploring visual communication systems for multi-stakeholder organizations and public-facing initiatives;
• Develop cohesive visual identity systems across digital, print, and campaign-based applications;
• Translate organizational goals, strategic priorities, and stakeholder feedback into clear visual communication approaches;
• Practice collaborative problem-solving within a hybrid academic–industry research environment;
• Communicate research findings, creative rationale, and technical processes through both written documentation and visual presentation;
• Build confidence navigating professional workflows, feedback systems, and governance structures through applied research and partnered collaboration;
• Engage with external partners (Coalition for Healthy School Food and Farm to Cafeteria Society) as part of a creative ecosystem beyond the university;
• Manage time efficiently and work effectively in teams or individually, as required.

Eligibility Criteria + Required Qualifications

Candidates must possess the following to be considered for this position:

• Be enrolled at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (3rd/4th year undergraduate COMD major; MDes program) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• Must reside in British Columbia throughout the project and hold valid work authorization;
• Demonstrated technical and creative skills across branding, visual identity, communication design, and visual systems design;
• Experience using industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Figma, and Miro;
• Possess strong conceptual thinking, typography, and visual storytelling skills;
• Have excellent organizational, research, communication, and presentation skills;
• Be comfortable working collaboratively and responding constructively to iterative feedback from faculty and multi-stakeholder partners;
• Have interest in nonprofit design, advocacy communications, public engagement, and/or systems-oriented design practices;
• Be able to work independently and adapt responsively to changing project conditions;
• Have access to their own laptop/computer;
• Must be available to meet in-person and remotely with company teams and the internal research group as needed;
• Must be available to participate in a final in-person (TBC) project presentation in November 2026.

Nice-to-Haves

• Professional or freelance experience in branding and visual identity design
• Experience working with nonprofits, advocacy organizations, or community-based initiatives
• Familiarity with accessible and inclusive design practices
• Motion design, illustration, editorial, or presentation design skills
• Experience developing flexible design systems or campaign templates

We encourage applications from students of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

For information on compensation and how to apply, visit The Leeway.

This position is contingent on external funding and may be delayed or modified depending on grant or partner commitments.