2025 Fall Cultural Foodways Internship

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:

• Gain substantial knowledge of the policy-making process and the role science plays.
• Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
• Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
• Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
• Assess your own interests and skills.

About CSPI

CSPI is one of the nation’s leading public health advocacy organizations with a 50-year record of fighting for science in the public interest and working to improve the food environment for all. We’ve led efforts to win passage of many state and local policies to improve school foods, put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, and remove sugary drinks from children’s menus. National policy successes include the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act; Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act; Food Safety Modernization Act; and Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act.

About the Internship Opportunity

The intern will work on the Health Equity and Social Impact team to support two separate projects. This work will potentially include a literature review, policy scan, and/or power mapping to identify synergistic opportunities related to key health equity priorities.

This may include but is not limited to compiling food culture frameworks, examining state and local policy barriers for farmers with minoritized identities, and identifying legislative opportunities for food system workers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical and research assistance to support our work on state/local policies with an emphasis on cultural foodways and food system worker labor justice
• Help to identify and cultivate partnerships with local, national, and state local groups to support
• Assisting the team in developing well-written, persuasive materials, such as reports, fact sheets, letters, talking points, and social media
• Monitor, track and present; new scientific evidence/reports/journal articles

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a public health, sociology, anthropology, agricultural, or related degree program
• Excellent research and writing skills with ability to read, analyze, interpret, and summarize public health research
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals
• Interest and lived experience in food culture, food system workers, health equity, and/or social justice
• Leadership, organizing, or community engagement experience is a plus

What Else You Should Know

CSPI pays interns $17.95 per hour but may be adjusted to meet state/local minimum wage laws based on work location. Our 10-week spring intern program is part-time (10 hours per week). The ideal start date is August 18th or August 25th, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The internship program is remote within the US, with the opportunity to work from our DC office if desired. Note, this role reports to the Director of Health Equity and Social Impact, who is remote in Texas.

CSPI requires all employees, including paid interns, to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are eligible, and the vaccine is available to them, as part of our efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees and visitors. Proof of vaccination is required during the onboarding process.

CSPI on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. In that spirit, each of us is committed to putting in constant work to live up to our organization’s core values:

• We are inclusive. We seek to foster an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging and are affirmed. We actively welcome and value staff with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives.
• We are open. We are honest and direct in how we communicate with each other.
• We are kind. We communicate and treat one another in a respectful, generous, considerate, and compassionate way.
• We are collaborative. We work together for the common good, seek input from those impacted by our work, and celebrate our shared successes.
• We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions, learn from our mistakes with humility, and change course when circumstances warrant.

Application Review Process

To manage capacity, informational interviews for interested candidates will not be an option at this time. Outreach for interviews will begin in mid-June, with a final decision being made by July 11th.