Community Health Internship Program (CHIP)
COMPACT’s Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) welcomes applications from Brandeis undergraduate students committed to advancing health equity in Waltham. This summer (2025), we are pleased to offer opportunities at five extraordinary community-based organizations.
Recognizing that the social determinants of health are embedded in the places where we live, work, play, and raise our families, CHIP offers an innovative, place-based, mentored, team internship model. Throughout the summer, all interns will meet weekly, as a team, with Professors Sara Shostak and Darren Zinner. Team meetings will provide you with structured opportunities for reflection, skill building, and professional development. They will also allow us to think together, as a team, about what you are learning about the social determinants of health in Waltham, from the perspective of the organization where you are working and the population that it serves.
CHIP interns will receive a $4,500 stipend for 200 hours of work over 8 weeks (this includes the hours spent in team meetings). Practically, this means that you will be at your internship site for ~22 hours/week, though the days/times will vary based on the projects and programs you are engaging. CHIP will begin on June 16, 2025.
While all CHIP internships focus on the social determinants of health, they include very different projects! For each, you will have access to support from faculty and staff at Brandeis, as well as at the host organizations.
Please read more about each opportunity below:
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This internship provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of a social determinants of health framework at Waltham Partnership for Youth. The internship will include research, writing, and learning about WPY’s work by joining staff on site visits to varied organizations hosting WPY summer interns. It is ideally suited to students interested in the social determinants of health and health communications/education.
Read more about the internship at Waltham Partnership for Youth.
As WFCF’s Food Access Intern, you will be supporting two food access programs - the Mobile Outreach Market (MOM) and Veg Rx - through direct service and by developing educational and community resources for participants. You will also have the opportunity to connect with the land and with the community on site at the Farm. This internship is ideally suited to students interested in healthy food access, Food is Medicine, and sustainable agriculture.
Read more about the internship at Waltham Fields Community Farm.
This internship provides an exciting opportunity to develop an evaluation strategy for the Waltham Family School. The internship will include research on the social determinants of health for immigrant families, designing an evaluation strategy for the organization, and developing timelines and templates for collecting outcomes data. This process will include conversations with current staff and observation of WFS summer programs. This internship is ideally suited to students interested in the health and well-being of immigrant families and eager to build their skills in program evaluation and applied research.
Read more about the internship at Waltham Family School.
This internship offers a unique chance to support the transformative Summer Eats Program. You'll be at the heart of connecting kids in need with nutritious meals, ensuring that children in Waltham receive healthy food where they live, learn, and play. By joining us, you'll help create a nurturing environment that fuels their potential and brightens their futures.
Read more about the internship at Waltham Boys & Girls Club.
Working with the Community Health department, the CRCH intern will be focused on supporting Community Health Programming and/or creating a Community Resource Glossary. You will be working directly with CRCH staff and patients to help connect members of our community with existing resources and support them in receiving the healthcare they need.
Read more about the internship at Charles River Community Health.
Application Information - Apply by January 31, 2025!
2025 CHIP Application
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- Week of January 20, 2025 -- Office hours for CHIP applicants by appointment - sign up here! Outside of these dates/times, please contact compact@brandeis.edu with any questions about CHIP or the application process.
- January 31, 2025 -- Application Deadline
- February 2025 -- Interviews with community-based organizations
- March 2, 2025 -- Notification of decisions
- Must be enrolled as a Brandeis undergraduate student in the Fall after you complete your CHIP summer internship.
- Good academic and community standing.
- Priority will be given to students majoring/minoring in HSSP and/or enrolled in the Community Engaged Scholars Program.
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Once accepted into the program, this internship can count for the HSSP hands-on experience requirement when paired with the HSSP 89a - Internship and Analysis class. Please contact
Professor Darren Zinner for formal approval.
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Once accepted into the program, CHIP internship projects can count for the CESP capstone requirement when paired with the CESP Capstone Class - Connecting Theory and Practice. Please contact
Dr. Megan Moran for formal approval.
- If you are an international student and have questions related to your visa status or taxes on fellowship stipends, please contact ISSO.
The application has five components:
- Student Information
- Internship Selection
- Two Essays
- Resume & Transcript
- Letter of Recommendation emailed to compact@brandeis.edu
Brandeis staff members will evaluate applications based on learning goals, preparedness, match with host organization priorities, and additional criteria.
Each host organization will interview and select finalists.
CHIP is generously supported by the Louis D. Brandeis Legacy Fund for Social Justice, which supports a wide range of activities that reflect the University's commitment to social justice.
