NEHA October 2023 Journal of Environmental Health

tating the acquisition of necessary tools and resources, such as tablets, laptops, and sam- pling equipment, host sites can enhance the internship experience, promote eciency, and improve overall work quality. The sup- port truly makes a dierence in empowering environmental health professionals to excel in their roles and contribute eectively to their respective organizations. Conclusion Our strategic enhancements to NEPHIP showcase a steadfast commitment to creating enriching experiences for interns and fostering growth within environmental public health

programs. These developments oer interns helpful opportunities for professional growth, networking, and positive contributions to the field of environmental public health. By invest- ing in the future of the environmental health workforce, we strive to safeguard community well-being and enhance collective responsive- ness to public health challenges. None of this work, however, would be possible without the active involvement of committed health departments and STLT public health agencies. Therefore, we encourage STLT public health agencies and environmental public health programs to take part in this transformative journey

as a host site for NEPHIP. In our pursuit of environmental public health excellence, we remain steadfast in fostering this pro- gram and laying the groundwork for a resil- ient, adaptable, and diverse workforce. As we endeavor to shape the future of public health, we value the contributions of all our partners and stakeholders. Corresponding Author: Reem Tariq, Senior Project Coordinator, Program and Partner- ship Development, National Environmental Health Association, 720 South Colorado Bou- levard, Suite 105A, Denver, CO 80246-1910. Email: rtariq@neha.org.

References

Bouye, K.E., McCleary, K.J., & Williams, K.B. (2016). Increasing diversity in the health professions: Reflections on student pipe- line programs. Journal of Healthcare, Science, and the Humanities , 6 (1), 67–79. Boyd, E., Chan, B.C., Dorkenoo, K., Jackson, G., Harrington, L., N’Guetta, A., Johansson, E.L., Nordlander, L., De Rosa, S.P., Raju, E., Scown, M., Soo, J., & Stuart-Smith, R. (2021). Loss and dam- age from climate change: A new climate justice agenda. One Earth , 4 (10), 1365–1370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.09.015 Gerding, J.A., Landeen, E., Kelly, K.R., Whitehead, S., Dyjack, D.T., Sarisky, J., & Brooks, B.W. (2019). Uncovering environmental health: An initial assessment of the profession’s health department workforce and practice. Journal of Environmental Health , 81 (10), 24–33. https://www.neha.org/workforce-and-practice-assessment Harper, D.M. (2007). A diverse environmental public health work- force to meet the diverse environmental health challenges of the 21st century. Journal of Environmental Health , 69 (6), 52–53. National Association of County and City Health Ocials. (2019). National profile of local health departments . https://www. naccho.org/uploads/downloadable-resources/Programs/Public- Health-Infrastructure/NACCHO_2019_Profile_final.pdf

Roostaie, S., Nawari, N., & Kibert, C.J. (2019). Sustainability and resilience: A review of definitions, relationships, and their inte- gration into a combined building assessment framework. Build- ing and Environment , 154 , 132–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. buildenv.2019.02.042 Ryan, B.J., & Hall, K. (2022). Strengthening the environmental health professional pipeline from education into practice. Jour- nal of Environmental Health , 84 (7), 28–30. https://www.neha.org/ Images/resources/JEH3.22-Column-Direct-From-AEHAP.pdf U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Climate change and social vulnerability in the United States: A focus on six impacts . https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-09/climate- vulnerability_september-2021_508.pdf Weiskopf, S.R., Rubenstein, M.A., Crozier, L.G., Gaichas, S., Gris, R., Halofsky, J.E., Hyde, K.J.W., Morelli, T.L., Morisette, J.T., Muñoz, R.C., Pershing, A.J., Peterson, D.L., Poudel, R., Staudinger, M.D., Sutton-Grier, A.E., Thompson, L., Vose, J., Weltzin, J.F., & Whyte, K.P. (2020). Climate change eects on biodiversity, eco- systems, ecosystem services, and natural resource management in the United States. Science of the Total Environment , 733 , Article 137782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137782

The National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP) is a 400- hr paid internship opportunity that links environmental health undergraduate and graduate students with funded internship placements at qualified environmental public health agencies. NEPHIP focuses on building the environmental health workforce by exposing students to firsthand environmental public health work and career opportunities. Student applications for the spring 2024 session are open and will close on October 9. Applications for environmental health agencies are always open and will be accepted on a rolling basis if positions are open and available. Learn more at www.neha.org/nephip.

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October 2023 • Journal of Environmental Health

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