Community and Global Public Health Internship Experiences
Arcadia’s field placement internship experience is designed to provide a real-life learning environment within which students can apply the academic concepts and master the skills they learn in the classroom. The internship experience is expected to bridge professional academic preparation with public health practice. Knowledge and skills learned in your courses are applied in an agency setting under the supervision and guidance of an experienced preceptor.
Take a look at the some of the people and places our interns help with their projects.
Nationalities Service Center
Dan Sexton ’16MPH built case studies from client files for submission to the U.N. during his internship with the Nationalities Service Center’s Philadelphia Partnership for Resiliency. The organization assists survivors of torture with adjusting to life in the United States.
Support Homeless Veterans
Kimberly Merrill ’17MPH, MMS interned with the organization Support Homeless Veterans which seeks to combat veteran homelessness in Philadelphia by offering housing, case management, peer counseling, and more. The organization also hosts donation drives for Philadelphia veterans, as well as events to boost veteran morale and increase community awareness and involvement.
Montgomery County Health Department
Lindsey Flanagan ’16MPH worked with community health educators and attended community programs such as 5210! at the Elmwood Park Zoo during her internship with the Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Health Department’s Health Promotions division.
Hub of Hope
José Arteaga ’18MPH, MMS interned for Hub of Hope, one of Project HOME’s outreach initiatives. The organization, located in the concourse of Center City Philadelphia’s Suburban Station, provides hospitality, housing-focused case management, and health services to the homeless population residing in the area throughout the winter season.
Unite for Sight
Brittany T. Peterson ’16MPH worked with Unite for Sight in Ghana in Accra, Ghana, to bring basic eye care to rural communities. Rural residents can have barriers to access basic services such as eye exams and cataract surgeries due to physical isolation, poverty, and lack of infrastructure. The organization provides basic care, medications, and necessary surgeries at little or no cost to patients.
Public Health Management Corporation
Sarah Hubbard ’16MPH interned with Public Health Management Corporation to evaluate the Philadelphia Partnership for Resiliency, which provides culturally competent and extensive services to survivors of torture and their families.
Gearing Up
Natasha Ireifej ’18MPH, MMS interned at Gearing Up in Center City Philadelphia. The organization’s primary mission is to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of women in transition from abuse, addiction, and/or incarceration, while teaching the practical skills necessary to integrate biking into their lives.
Weavers Way Community Programs
During her internship with Weavers Way Community Programs, Megan Dorris ’18MPH, MMS worked to educate high school students in Philadelphia on the importance of nutrition and environmental stewardship through interactive gardening and horticultural therapy programs. Weavers Way is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Salvation Army, Emergency Disaster Services
Michelle Del Buono ’16MPH, MAC assisted in creating a research-based psychological first aid manual for disaster events nationwide during her internship with Emergency Disaster Services. The manual translated mental health knowledge into user-friendly procedures to be followed by the Salvation Army to prevent psychological harm of victims and first-responders in the aftermath of disaster.
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Rachel Jenkins ’18MPH, MMS worked on an asset-mapping project for newly acquired service zip codes for Fox Chase Cancer Center. During her internship, she worked to build partnerships between Fox Chase and city officials, local businesses, community organizations, and service groups. In addition, she traveled with Fox Chase representatives to local community centers to conduct cancer research and provide cancer education.
Back On My Feet
Marissa N. Greco ’16MPH analyzed data to provide an assessment of program effectiveness and assisted in developing a new strategic plan for Back On My Feet, an Philadelphia-based organization that helps homeless individuals gain independence and self-efficacy.
Esperanza Health Center
Camden Towne ’16MPH developed a series of online tools during his internship at Esperanza Health Center, a multi-site clinic that addresses the health needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community. Towne tracked grant outcomes and produced materials such as an adapted patient engagement scale, postcards for patients, and other means for data tracking. His work helped identify patients with whom community health staff members subsequently engaged.
