Summer Course of Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health (CLEH), USA

Description
This is a 10-week summer environmental internship for undergraduate students who are passionate about the environment, interested in human health, and curious about how they are linked.

A healthy environment should be capable of sustaining a healthy population; however, with 7 billion people on the earth, there is a need for more sustainable interactions between humans and the environment. environmental issues such as overpopulation, air pollution, food shortage, natural disasters, water contamination, and exposure to toxic substances provide challenges to human health. Human influence on the environment is the main focus of environmental studies; however there is a growing need to evaluate the effect that the environment has on human populations.

Harmful environments can increase the risk of many health conditions: asthma, heart disease, cancer, neurological disease, infections, endocrine dysfunction, injuries, and more. Healthy environments, on the other hand, can promote good health in many ways—protecting people from toxic exposures, providing safe water and clean air, and encouraging healthy behaviors such as outdoor recreation.

The link between the environment and health is aptly referred to as “environmental health.” Environmental health is the discipline that focuses on the interrelationships between people and their environment, promotes human health and well-being, and fosters safe and healthy living. This branch of public health is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health.

Environmental health professionals engage in a broad and exciting range of activities—basic and applied research, direct health protection efforts such as disaster preparedness and response, health education, patient care, policy support, and more. For students interested in the environment, health, or both, few fields are more fascinating.

Eligibility

1. US citizenship or Permanent Resident with a green card
2. Full time enrollment at a college or university as a rising junior or rising senior by fall 2012
3. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and
4. An academic major or demonstrated coursework concentration in environmental studies, environmental, physical, biological chemical and/or social sciences (if applicants are not majoring in one of these areas they can make the case for why their major or interests are applicable to this internship in essay #2)

Note: Seniors graduating in Spring 2012 will not be accepted to this program.

Application Procedure

• Application deadline: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 (Application)
• Notification to intern of acceptance: Friday, March 16, 2012
• Acceptance of internship offer by student and initiation of paperwork: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
• Internship dates: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 – Friday, August 17, 2012

Note: CDC has partnered with The Department of Energy (DOE)/Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the implementation of this program. CDC will review applications and make final award selections.

Submission Deadline
February 1, 2012

Website Link
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/cleh/overview.htm