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Internship Opportunities

We accept applications for interns on a rolling basis. These positions are 10-20 hours/week. A master's degree candidate is preferred but undergraduate students entering the field of public health will also be considered. These positions will work remotely with occasional in-person events. Students must be residents of NYS or enrolled in a NYS school. Special consideration is given to colleges/universities that are members of NYSPHA. Please note that NYSPHA internships are unpaid.

All interns receive a 1 year NYSPHA membership.

INTERNSHIP POSITIONS:

Note: Applications for Spring 2027 will be reviewed in November.

NEW: Communications & Social Media Internship

NYSPHA is seeking a motivated student studying public health, communications or marketing to join our team as a Communications & Social Media Intern. This is a hands-on opportunity to gain real-world experience developing and implementing a social media strategy for a statewide public health organization.

The intern will help create content for Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, promote NYSPHA programs and events, highlight the work of public health professionals and organizations across New York State, engage with our online community and track social media performance. The intern will work closely with NYSPHA staff and have the opportunity to develop skills in strategic communications, content creation, digital engagement and nonprofit communications.

While this is an unpaid internship, the intern will receive a complimentary NYSPHA membership and a complimentary registration to the 2027 NYS Public Health Partnership Conference in Rochester, NY May 5-7, 2027, providing opportunities to connect with public health professionals and participate in NYSPHA programs and events.

This internship is anticipated to run November-May and is conducted remotely.

Interested students should send their resume to Info@nyspha.org no later than October 18th. Please include in your email your availability (internship can be 5-10 hours/week), a college professor or advisor name and contact information and if you are requesting your college grant you credit hours for the internship.

Read full internship description here. 

 

Event Planning Intern

The Event Planning Intern will assist in the coordination and execution of virtual and in-person events, including workshops, webinars, networking meet-ups and the annual conference. This role will involve supporting logistics, outreach and promotion of programming. The intern may also help develop new engagement formats, coordinate with partners and guest speakers and contribute to planning student and board engagement opportunities. Generally 10-20 hours/week.

CEPH Competencies Addressed:

  • Planning & Management to Promote Health: Assists in development, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and events.
  • Communication: Coordinates outreach and engagement with speakers, partners, and participants.
  • Leadership: Supports facilitation of events and stakeholder coordination.
  • Interprofessional Practice: Collaborates with public health professionals, students, and community partners.

 

Communications Intern

The selected intern will support NYSPHA’s communications capacity by contributing to content creation, community outreach and public health campaign development using evidence-based messaging tools. Works directly with the Communications Manager to develop communications for membership, public health e-news and website; grant projects; resource development; creating materials for use by colleges and student networks; supporting National Public Health Week activities and related campaigns. Generally 5-10 hours/week.

CEPH Competencies Addressed:

  • Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health: Applies data (e.g., email metrics, audience analytics) to evaluate communication effectiveness and inform strategy.
  • Communication: Develops and tailors public health messages for diverse audiences using multiple platforms.
  • Leadership: Contributes to development of communication strategies and campaign materials.
  • Public Health & Health Care Systems: Supports dissemination of information that improves awareness of public health initiatives and services.

Policy & Advocacy Intern

Serve on the NYSPHA Policy & Advocacy Committee; create policy memos, policy statements and update website for public health advocacy; work directly with board members/committee to plan/participate in advocacy days/events; advocate for public health bills and funding. Generally 5-10 hours/week.

CEPH Competencies Addressed:

  • Policy in Public Health: Contributes to development and organization of policy agendas and advocacy priorities.
  • Leadership: Supports coordination of advocacy efforts and stakeholder engagement.
  • Communication: Synthesizes and presents policy information for internal and external audiences.
  • Systems Thinking: Understands how policy, stakeholders, and public health systems interact to influence outcomes.

Member Engagement Intern

The Member Engagement Intern will focus on strengthening connections within the membership base by supporting engagement strategies and data collection efforts. Responsibilities include developing member surveys to assess needs and priorities, assisting in the creation of engagement plans and helping facilitate connections among members. The intern will also analyze membership data (event participation, engagement trends), support LinkedIn and digital engagement efforts, and assist in communicating member benefits, including website access and resources. Generally 10-20 hours/week.

CEPH Competencies Addressed:

  • Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health: Designs and analyzes surveys to assess member needs and engagement trends.
  • Communication: Develops targeted messaging to improve member participation and retention.
  • Leadership: Recommends strategies to strengthen organizational engagement based on data insights.
  • Systems Thinking: Examines how member engagement, communication, and programming interact to impact overall organizational effectiveness.

Strategic Planning Intern

The Strategic Planning Intern will support organizational growth initiatives through research, outreach and planning activities. This includes assisting with sponsor and partner outreach, helping to develop sponsorship materials and programs, and contributing to the creation of promotional one-pagers with engagement metrics. The intern may also support governance-related work, such as by-law review and revisions, and provide general support for strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals.

CEPH Competencies Addressed:

  • Systems Thinking: Analyzes organizational structure, partnerships, and external environment to inform strategy.
  • Planning & Management to Promote Health: Supports development of strategic initiatives, including sponsorship programs.
  • Leadership: Contributes to organizational decision-making and long-term planning efforts.
  • Policy in Public Health: Assists with governance-related activities such as by-law review and organizational policies.

Event Accessibility Organizer

(Spring semester only)

We seek to make this event as accessible and user-friendly to everyone as possible. The event accessibility organizer will be responsible for the following:

  • Ensuring the technology is in place to provide closed captioning in English for attendees
  • Seek ways to provide Spanish language translation for sessions
  • Explore ways that those living with hearing difficulties can participate
  • Develop marketing materials and find ways to promote the event to those needing accommodations.

Internship Benefits:

  • Network with a diverse group of public health leaders
  • Complimentary 1-year membership to NYSPHA
  • Preference is given to students located in New York

Details:

Potential Internship Projects:

  • Assist NYSPHA with logistics of planning for annual public health conference
  • Assist in development of public health e-news for NYSPHA members, community and/or legislators
  • Manage organization's social media channels to promote public health messaging
  • Organizing advocacy day & participation in Policy & Advocacy Committee
  • Plan and implement events for National Public Health Week (April)
  • Write, edit, submit stories/press release/letters on affiliate activities to The Nation's Health newspaper and/or other news outlets
  • Participate in committees
  • Potential for grant writing 
     

Project Duration and Scheduling Considerations:

  • Available for the start of each semester. May start earlier/extend longer as necessary. Flexible schedule available, as long as student maintains good contact/communication with mentor(s).

Qualifications:

  • Student must be enrolled in a public health, community health or related degree program. A minor in such programs will also be considered.
  • Undergraduate students will be considered but preference will be given to students enrolled in a graduate degree program.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills   

To Apply:

Please contact us with questions about these opportunities. 
 

As internships arise through both NYSPHA and our members, they will be emailed to all NYSPHA members and posted in the member section of our website. Please consider joining NYSPHA at the student rate of $25 for access to these announcements, discounts at our events, free webinars and more!