Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health
Who Can Apply: US Citizens or Permanent Resident with a green card – rising junior or senior – 3.0+ GPA – an academic major or demonstrated coursework concentration in environmental studies or related fields
Description: This is a 10-week summer environmental internship for undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, Ecology, or related fields who are passionate about the environment, about human health, and about the link between the two.
A healthy environment should be capable of sustaining a healthy population; however, with 6.3 billion people on the earth, there is a need for more sustainable interactions between humans and the environment. Harmful environments can increase the risk of many health conditions. Healthy environments, on the other hand, can promote good health in many ways—protecting people from toxic exposures, providing safe water and clean air, and encouraging healthy behaviors such as outdoor recreation. Environmental health is the discipline that focuses on the interrelationships between people and their environment, promotes human health and well-being, and fosters safe and healthy living. This branch of public health is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health.
Award Amount: The internship program will provide a stipend for living expenses ($600 per week). Travel to Atlanta will be the student’s responsibility. Potential housing options will be provided in advance; however the interns will be expected to make their own arrangements.
Duration: 10 weeks during the summer
National Deadline: TBA
Interns will be placed in environmental health programs at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR). Over the course of the summer, interns will be exposed to a broad overview of environmental public health issues at the federal level. Interns will participate in environmental health projects, interact with federal officials and scientists, and visit important environmental health sites in Atlanta. Other activities may include "brown-bag" lunches with CDC staff, as well as attending lectures from important environmental health leaders in the Atlanta area. In addition, interns will be able to attend the many seminars offered by CDC during the summer.