Overview

This application is for University of Minnesota graduate students seeking an internship with a community-based nonprofit organization or small business. This Community Internship will assist those nonprofits and businesses that focus directly on addressing public health issues or health disparities in underserved, socially and economically challenged communities.

Through funding support provided by Medica, the Office for Business & Community Economic Development will now offer the Community Health Initiative (CHI). The goal of this initiative is two-fold; to provide resources that help community-based nonprofit organizations and small businesses that work in the areas impacting public health, social services, medicine, medical technology, or to help these organizations and businesses build capacity and improve their overall performance and effectiveness in communities of color; and secondly to provide University of Minnesota students with valuable applied learning experiences by linking them to opportunities in communities that face public health disparities and other socio-economic issues.

Student Community Internships will be offered from June 1 st through August 31 st of each year and will be paid, full-time 40 hour per week positions. Students participating in the community internships will be full-time graduates students enrolled in the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, School of Social Work, or the School of Medicine.

Project proposals will be accepted in the topical areas of Public Health, Community Health Education, Social Work, Population Health Coordination, Nursing Care/Management, Health/Medical Research, Feasibility Study and Program Evaluation/Measurement. Students who participate in the program 1) gain valuable learning experiences in their chosen field of study; 2) apply classroom knowledge and develop hands-on experience to real-life situations; and 3) gain educational experience working with organizations serving diverse communities.

Applicants must meet the following qualifications: