“Training and supporting our environmental public health pipeline for climate change, environmental justice, health disparities,
The expansion of NEPHIP encourages interns to consider projects focused on imperative issues such as climate change, health equity, sustainability, and environ- mental justice. The program was revised to increase diversity among interns and participating host sites and environmental health programs within STLT public health agencies. NEPHIP now oers valuable pro- fessional career mentorship sessions, where student interns can engage with other envi- ronmental health professionals working in STLT public health agencies outside of their internship host site. In addition, the interns now have the opportunity to attend a Vir- tual Career Fair. The augmented program has strategically incorporated our Annual Educational Con- ference (AEC) & Exhibition into the revised model for NEPHIP. Interns are now oered free virtual registration to the AEC, a compli- mentary professional development preconfer- ence workshop, and select interns are oered travel scholarships to attend the AEC in per- son. Furthermore, interns are given a 1-year NEHA student membership that provides them with access to valuable resources, a 1-year subscription to the Journal of Environ- mental Health , and networking opportunities. The revised program oers enhanced coor- dination and evaluation support to strengthen experiential learning outcomes. Further- more, participating host programs are oered financial support packages to cover expenses associated with hosting an intern. Overall, these revisions were made to further bolster NEPHIP and bridge the gap between educa- tion and practice, contributing to a seamless transition and empowering aspiring environ- mental public health professionals to make meaningful contributions to the field. As Dr. David Dyjack, NEHA executive director, put it: “Like striped caterpillars that metamorphize into beautiful monarch butterflies, NEPHIP is crafted to accelerate the development of envi- ronmental public health students from learn- ers into thriving, eective professionals.” Embracing Imperative Issues as Project Topics NEPHIP interns are encouraged to explore climate change, health equity, sustainability, and environmental justice within their inde- pendent projects. These topics encapsulate the defining issues of our global landscape.
a focal point within NEPHIP internships fosters an understanding of these dispari- ties and enables interns to devise strategies that promote equitable access to environ- mental resources, healthcare services, and resilience-building initiatives. By doing so, interns contribute to dismantling the sys- temic inequities that worsen the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. Sustainability, as a guiding principle, rein- forces the imperative of responsible resource management and the development of resil- ient systems that can adapt to changing envi- ronmental conditions (Roostaie et al., 2019). Encouraging interns to engage with sus- tainability-related projects instills an ethos of ecological stewardship and innovation, ensuring the long-term viability of public health interventions in the face of a rapidly evolving climate. Lastly, integrating environmental justice into NEPHIP internships acknowledges the intersectionality between environmental concerns, social justice, and public health outcomes. By examining the disproportion- ate burdens borne by underserved commu- nities and empowering interns to address these injustices, the internship program cul- tivates a generation of public health leaders committed to confronting the root causes of environmental inequities and advocating for policies and interventions that prioritize justice and inclusivity. Focusing on Diversity One of the key improvements in the pro- gram is the strengthened promotion and recruitment eorts, with a specific focus on increasing diversity and inclusion among interns. Environmental public health issues aect diverse communities dierently. By ensuring a diverse workforce, we can better understand and address the unique chal- lenges faced by various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups (Harper, 2007). This focus promotes a more equitable distribu- tion of resources, interventions, and policies that can eectively mitigate health dispari- ties and promote environmental justice. We have demonstrated a strong commitment to prioritizing diversity among NEPHIP interns by actively seeking candidates from diverse geographic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Under the expansion, NEPHIP now inte- grates revised diversity metrics into the appli-
and sustainability is critical to our nation’s
Climate change—with its escalating impacts on ecological systems, natural resources, and human health—demands urgent attention (Weiskopf et al., 2020). Dr. Jesse Bliss, direc- tor of Program and Partnership Development at NEHA, underlines the significance of these focus areas by stating, “Training and support- ing our environmental public health pipeline for climate change, environmental justice, health disparities, and sustainability is criti- cal to our nation’s health and safety.” By integrating these vital concerns into NEPHIP internships, aspiring environmen- tal public health professionals gain invalu- able exposure to the multifaceted challenges presented by climate change and become equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to eectively address its ramifica- tions. Furthermore, the emphasis on health equity is pivotal in mitigating the dispari- ties exacerbated by climate change. His- torically, marginalized communities often bear the brunt of environmental hazards and are disproportionately aected by the adverse consequences of climate change (Boyd et al., 2021). A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA, 2021) elucidates the ramifications of climate change on socially vulnerable popu- lations within the U.S., people of color and Indigenous communities exhibit a greater propensity to bear the burden of adverse climate eects. These eects include the exacerbation of air quality degradation, the deleterious consequences of extreme tem- perature on well-being and productivity, and the detrimental eects of coastal and inland flooding on health and property (U.S. EPA, 2021). Incorporating health equity as health and safety.” – Jesse Bliss, MPH, PhD, Director, Program and Partnership Development, National Environmental Health Association
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October 2023 • Journal of Environmental Health
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