Wisconsin AHEC's Community Health Internship Program

2013 CHIP Student Application Information

2013 CHIP Student Application is now available. The due date is Monday, February 25 by 8am.

2013 CHIP Student Application

The full application will require:

1. Completion of the online application

2. Two letters of recommendation

3. a complete set of official transcripts from
all colleges/universities attended where you completed 12 credit hours or more.
If your current or degree-granting transcript includes transfer credits with
grades or GPA for any transfer credits, you do not need to request a separate
transcript from the program where you completed the transferred credits.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:
-Wisconsin resident or student attending a college or university in Wisconsin
-U.S. citizen or permanent resident
-Currently enrolled in a technical, undergraduate, or graduate program (may participate the summer following graduation)
-GPA of 3.0 or higher
-Demonstrated and/or well-articulated interest in public health

Key program dates for the 2013 Statewide program:

• Monday, February  25, 2013 by 8am- Application deadline for applicants to the Statewide program and those who wish to be considered for either the Statewide or the Milwaukee program. 
  

                * We hope to finalize all matches by the end of April *

• Friday, May 31, 2013  - Orientation and Training on UW Madison campus (all day) for Statewide program participants; hotel accommodations will be provided if needed.

• Monday, June 3, 2013 - Interns report to agencies. If your academic year has not concluded at this time, another start date is possible.
  

• Friday, July 26, 2013 - Last official day of work for interns

Key Program Dates for the 2013 Milwaukee program:

• Friday, March 15 by 4pm- Extended application deadline for those who are ONLY interested in the Milwaukee program (with sites in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties).  Please note that applicants who wish to be considered for either the Milwaukee or the Statewide program must apply by Monday, February 25 by 8am.

• Monday,  June 3, 2013 through Friday, July 26, 2013 - Milwaukee program internship dates.  An orientation is held in Milwaukee on the first day of the program.

Where to send letters of recommendation and transcripts:

The CHIP application requires two letters of recommendation submitted by individuals who have supervised and evaluated your work in an academic or professional setting. Relatives and friends may not serve in this capacity.

Letters should be sent by your recommenders directly to the AHEC Program Office in Madison. They may be sent via email (preferably as a pdf document on letterhead) to internships@ahec.wisc.edu or via regular mail to the Wisconsin AHEC Program, 750 Highland Ave., 4218d, Madison, WI 53705.  You will also need to provide a complete set of official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.  You should wait to send your current transcript until after the fall semester 2012 courses and grades have been posted.  Transcripts may be sent to the AHEC Program Office at the above address. 

 Stipend:

Interns receive a stipend of $1,200 per month, or $2,400 for the eight week program. A few of the Statewide program internships have an option of a third month.  See detailed site descriptions.

Interns work full-time (generally, 40 hours per week) at the host site, and participate in core seminars.  In Milwaukee, these seminars are held on Tuesdays.  Statewide program interns will participate in an online course which includes 2-3 academic webinars and several assignments including: an interview, a letter to a legislator, and a final presentation (via webinar).

Available sites (Statewide Program only):

Applicants to the Statewide Program will indicate their site assignment preferences in their application - up to 4 and will write an essay on their top 2.  The 2013 site list will be posted as soon as it becomes available.  We may  have a few additional sites to add during the application process, so  you may wish to check the list again before you submit your application.  [Milwaukee program interns will receive a list of projects and sites to select from after acceptance to the program.]

Housing (Statewide Program only):

Students   selected for the internship are responsible for making their own   housing arrangements.  Interns are often able to find local housing with   friends or family.  The Statewide program application provides you  with  an opportunity to indicate where you will have housing.  You may,   however, indicate internship choices in locations where you do not have   housing.  If you are offered an internship in a location where you do   not have housing available, the local AHEC office may be able to assist   in finding suitable housing.

Questions?

Please direct questions about the application process and specific questions about the Statewide program sites to Mandy Meloy at the AHEC Program Office in Madison:

Mandy Meloy
internships@ahec.wisc.edu
(608) 265-6323

  

Questions about the Milwaukee CHIP program should be directed to Virginia Thomas at Milwaukee AHEC:

Virginia Thomas
vthomas@milahec.org
(414) 344-0675

2013 Request for Site Proposals

2013 Request for Site Proposals Application

Host Agencies (health departments, community health centers, and other community agencies), please submit a description of your site, the student projet, and other responsibilities to the AHEC Program office using the following link: 2013 Request for Site Proposals Application

Our matching process works best if we have a complete list of available projects and sites when the student application period opens in mid-December, so students can indicate their preferences. Therefore, we urge you to get your proposal in no later than November 30.  We will, however, continue to accept site/project proposals through the end of February.

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The Wisconsin AHEC Community Health Internship Program links undergraduate and graduate student interns with local health departments, community service agencies and community health centers throughout Wisconsin to address a variety of public health issues.  Projects vary widely to suit interns' interests and abilities and local program needs. On-site mentors provide technical support and assistance and facilitate shadowing opportunities to help interns gain an understanding and appreciation of the broad range of public health activities undertaken at the local level.  The program would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of these community health professionals.

Research opportunities in the Community Health Intern Program

Whether at health departments, community health centers or community service agencies, AHEC interns are often involved in assisting in research on implementation of evidence-based community health improvement projects.  For 2013 we are actively recruiting sites and projects that provide students with an opportunity to participate in community-based research.  If you have an interest in research, be sure to note that in your application and continue checking the project descriptions as they are updated.  We often hear about research opportunities fairly late in the application process.

 

What is CHIP?

Wisconsin AHEC operates two separate Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) programs each summer.  The Statewide program is coordinated though the Wisconsin AHEC Program Office in Madison and serves a 67-county area that encompasses southwest, central, and northern Wisconsin.   Milwaukee CHIP is coordinated through Milwaukee AHEC and serves a cluster of five urban counties (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth counties) in the southeast corner of the state.

Both programs recruit undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining real-world public health experience and link them with public health agencies, organizations and clinical practice sites to work on a variety of public health projects. Both programs run full time for eight weeks and provide a $2400 stipend. 

The AHEC intern program creates a 3-way partnership among local public health agencies or providers, student interns, and the Wisconsin Area Health Education Center System. The success of the program depends on partners having both an appreciation for the roles they play in the partnership and a commitment to collaborative learning.

This program offers a wide range of opportunities for students interested in community health.  Previous interns have engaged in:

• Chronic disease prevention (e.g., implementation of a community physical activity promotion campaign)
• Environmental health programs (e.g., sampling and analysis of beaches, pools and wells)
• Local policy and program development (e.g., community health assessments)
• Health education (e.g., planning and curriculum development of training for day care providers)
• Improving access to healthcare services (e.g., development of a free clinic)
• Photovoice projects (e.g., using photography to enable members of underserved communities to provide their perspective in the community health assessment process)
• Marketing and communication (e.g., development of social media tools and videos)
• Research (e.g., survey design, focus groups, literature searches, statistical methods, and program evaluations

For details on the opportunities available at intern program sites in summer 2013, please see the list in the left sidebar.

The 2013 Statewide program will kick-off on Friday, May 31 with a full day of orientation and training on the UW Madison campus. The program will conclude on Friday, July 26.

The 2013 Milwaukee program is scheduled to begin with an orientation in Milwaukee on June 3, 2013 and conclude on Friday, July 26.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:
-Wisconsin resident or student attending a college or university in Wisconsin
-U.S. citizen or permanent resident
-Currently enrolled in a technical, undergraduate, or graduate program (may participate the summer following graduation)
-GPA of 3.0 or higher
-Demonstrated and/or well-articulated interest in public health


The online application is available.  To assure full consideration for the Statewide program, your application and supporting materials must be received by 8am on Monday, February 25, 2013. Placements will be finalized by the end of April.  Applications for the Milwaukee program ONLY will be accepted through Friday, March 15 by 4pm.

You may use the on-line application to apply for either program, or to request consideration for both. 


Please direct questions about Statewide CHIP to:
Mandy Meloy
ameloy@wisc.edu
(608) 265-6323

Please direct questions about Milwaukee CHIP to:
Virginia Thomas
vthomas@milahec.org
(414) 344-0675