• Public Health Lead Poisoning Program Intern – Spring 2027 – Hybrid; remote with ½ day in Springfield office weekly

    Spring 2027

    Public Health Lead Poisoning Program Intern – Spring 2027 – Hybrid; remote with ½ day in Springfield office weekly. 

    Candidates must have secure home internet access, a hotspot, or VPN and the ability to work remotely while collaborating with program staff at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).  

    Welcome to the Office of Health Protection and Response – Bureau of Environmental Health at IDPH. You will play a key role in developing several new and revised policy and educational materials for the Illinois Childhood Lead Program (ICLP). Responsibilities include collaborating with ICLP, Regional and local health department officials to update the ICLP’s Strategic Plan, developing and implement a new Program Procedures booklet to be used by environmental staff during public health interventions that occur as the result of a child being confirmed with an elevated blood lead level, and developing strategies and materials for distribution to families impacted by an elevated blood lead levels. 

    Under supervision, you will review existing documents, administrative rules and policies to identify and develop updated guidance and legal documents. You may contact Regional IDPH as well as local health department risk assessors for their input on best practices, feedback on resources, and participation in public health interventions. Additional tasks may include evaluation and suggested updates to the IDPH Lead Poisoning webpages, social media outreach efforts, and forms and documents.  

    This role will provide hands-on experience in policy development and governmental engagement, supporting efforts to build meaningful relationships with communities impacted by childhood lead exposure.  

    Responsibilities:  

    • Collect, organize, and analyze public health policies related to childhood lead exposure in Illinois. 
    • Assist in the development of ICLP health intervention procedures by using current best practices along with statutory and administrative rule guidance. 
    • Contact IDPH Regional and local health department risk assessors to gain input regarding field work and the application of current policies and procedures. 
    • Suggest improvements to guide future policy and promote the ICLP.  
    • Improve and update communications with the public through social media campaigns.   
    • Assist with the evaluation and revision of IDPH Lead Poisoning Program webpages, forms, and educational materials. 
    • Assist staff with special projects and administrative tasks related to environmental health and lead exposure prevention initiatives. 
    • Other duties as assigned and related to these projects.   

     Requirements:  

    • Must be in good academic standing and currently enrolled in one of the following graduate or undergraduate programs - Public Health Communications, Health Systems Evaluations, Public Administration, Social Work, Environmental Health, Political Sciences or a related field.  
    • Ability to work remotely and communicate with supervising team regularly during working hours (8:30 am – 5 pm) – flexible based on your academic schedule.  
    • Secure home internet access, a hotspot, or VPN.  

     Optional:  

    • Report to the Springfield, IL office as needed if in the area.  

     Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:  

    • Ability to interpret and summarize public health data, including trends, indicators, and descriptive statistics, supported by proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and familiarity with data and graphic design tools (e.g., Canva). 
    • Ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative information, including identifying key themes, gaps, patterns, and emerging issues from data and documents.  
    • Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce structured reports, briefs, and other written materials. 
    • Strong organizational skills, including tracking partnership activities, managing datasets, and maintaining accurate records.  
    • Strong attention to detail when working with data, reports, and partner communications.  
    • Ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams and external partners, including gathering input and incorporating feedback into recommendations.  
    • Ability to translate feedback into actionable insights and support development of recommendations.  
    • Knowledge of social media platforms and digital communication strategies. 
    • Basic experience with databases or data tracking systems for project or partnership management (preferred).  
    • Foundational coursework in public health, statistics, or research methods (preferred). 

      Schedule and Compensation:  

    This internship will be for the Spring 2027 semester (start and end dates are flexible) and will require 20 hours per week.  

    This is an unpaid internship, but academic credit may be available depending on your institution’s policies and guidelines – please speak with an academic advisor.

    All applications must be submitted by 9 a.m., Tuesday, November 17, 2026, to be considered for this internship.

      Apply Here