Purpose/Mission of Organization
POLICY INTERN PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The College of Public Health provides opportunities to public health and other health profession students to intern with external public and non-profit organizations throughout the region and/or organizations within Ohio State University. Internships may focus on policy engagement across the Midwest and may also support the placement team with policy engagement across the US. The goal of the Policy Intern initiative is to provide students an opportunity to engage with contemporary policy issues while supporting the advancement of public health.
Job description
Projects will vary depending on each host organization’s priorities and the relevant issues within the City State and Federal legislative bodies. Examples of possible projects include:
• Research – literature and media reviews
• Bill tracking & analysis – identifying bills that may be relevant to or have an impact on a geographic area or population
• Tracking legislative committees – watching and keeping apprised of relevant committees; taking notes and sharing important updates
• Advocacy – assist with research and developing materials to assist with advocating for legislative policies
• Administrative – support organization or community meetings and initiatives
PROJECT DURATION
Internships will occur within a respective academic semester: Spring, Summer or Fall. Start and end dates will vary by placement site.
DELIVERABLES
Students will be required to submit a survey at the beginning and end of each internship, as well as a survey one year after project completion. These surveys are used to collect information to apply program analysis and continuous quality improvement.
NOTE
While internships are generally unpaid, stipends may be available in some circumstances and student eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Qualifications
• Students should have an interest in policy research, writing and analysis.
• Students should be passionate about learning while also informing perspectives on public health.
• Should be undergraduate juniors or seniors, graduate or doctoral students pursuing degrees in a health profession (e.g., public health, psychology, sociology and social work). Special consideration for those with areas of study in public health.
• Students must be enrolled throughout the course of the internship (students that have already graduated from their program will not be considered).
