Public Health

PUBLIC HEALTH PURPOSE PATHWAY INTERNSHIP VOICE UP PUBLIC HEALTH PURPOSE PATHWAY INTERNSHIP Exploring Purpose at the Intersection of People, Systems, and Health Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of communities. The Voice Up Public Health Purpose Pathway Internship invites undergraduate and graduate students to explore the foundational question of the field: How can purpose-driven individuals strengthen the health and well-being of populations? Rather than focusing only on textbooks or data, students here connect their lived experiences, cultural identity, community background, and academic interests to the high-impact work of public health. This internship is designed to help students explore their emerging professional identity within a field that shapes everything from disease prevention to mental health equity, environmental justice, global health security, and the social determinants of health. This program runs on: The Fuller Method of reflective mentoring and narrative identity development The B Curriculum for clarity, self-discovery, and meaning-making Voice Up’s Five Core Principles Applied, real-world public health challenges Students leave not only with skills but with clarity of purpose, confidence, and a blueprint for contribution. LEARNING GOALS Students completing this internship will: 1. Understand Public Health as a Purpose-Oriented Discipline Examine how public health is shaped by values, equity, compassion, prevention, and community empowerment. 2. Connect Public Health Science to Personal Values Identify how your own life story intersects with public health needs in local and global communities. 3. Develop Critical Skills Including health communication, mixed-methods thinking, prevention strategies, cultural humility, and systems-level problem solving. 4. Create a Purpose-Based Public Health Project Students will design a practical micro-intervention, policy idea, behavior change concept, educational tool, or wellness strategy. 5. Craft an Identity as a Public Health Practitioner Through narrative writing, mentor support, and reflective practice, students articulate who they are becoming within the field. INTERNSHIP STRUCTURE (8 12 WEEKS) WEEKS 1 2 Know Thyself: The Public Health Lens The B Curriculum (Be Curious, Be Honest, Be Courageous ) Personal health story narrative Fuller Method mentor conversation Exploration of the Social Determinants of Health Reflection: Where do I see myself in the larger health system? WEEKS 3 4 Understanding Communities through Purpose Cultural humility exercises Environmental health challenges Health equity analysis Mini-literature review of a public health topic the student selects Skill-building: Community needs scanning WEEKS 5 6 Purpose in Action: Designing Solutions Systems mapping (disease, housing, mental health, food insecurity, etc.) Data literacy fundamentals Designing a micro-intervention or public health solution Mentor session: refining problem statements Peer collaboration groups WEEKS 7 8 Your Public Health Purpose Blueprint Capstone design + written reflection Policy brief or public health communication artifact Contribution to the Purpose Library Final mentor session OPTIONAL WEEKS 9 12 Advanced Public Health Track Research assistantship support Epidemiology intro modeling Program evaluation basics Presentation to public health faculty or practitioners DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES Each student completes: A Public Health Identity Statement A reflective piece integrating narrative identity with professional alignment. A Community Health Map Visualizing how multiple determinants shape well-being. A Behavioral Insight Brief Applying behavioral science to a real-world health challenge. A Purpose-Based Project Proposal Such as: A mental health youth engagement strategy A campus wellness initiative A harm reduction education prototype A culturally responsive health communication tool A Future Pathway Plan Next steps for research, graduate school, fellowships, or service. THE THREE PARTICIPATION PATHWAYS Academic Credit Volunteer Service Voice Up University Subscription All pathways receive the same quality of mentorship, access, and purpose development. ALIGNMENT WITH PUBLIC HEALTH COMPETENCIES This internship aligns with: CEPH Foundational Competencies WHO Framework for Action on Social Determinants of Health CDC Essential Public Health Services NASEM recommendations on the public health workforce The internship supports early pipeline development for future epidemiologists, health educators, policy analysts, health communication specialists, and public health researchers.