2025 Fall Child Nutrition 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 National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program are bolstered by a range of funding streams and grants that offer comprehensive technical assistance, including resources, best practice sharing, education, and financial support. The Child Nutrition Internship will focus on elevating these programs and funding mechanisms that enable schools to serve nutritious, locally sourced, and sustainable meals.

As part of efforts to strengthen and protect these vital programs and funding, the intern will support CSPI’s advocacy by helping to demonstrate their impact to policymakers. This will involve direct engagement with child nutrition partners (e.g., foodservice directors and school nutrition staff) to inform advocacy strategies, including communications campaigns and resource development.

Additional responsibilities may include collaborating with allied organizations to explore opportunities for program enhancement. The intern may also contribute to broader projects within CSPI’s child nutrition advocacy portfolio.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support advocacy efforts promoting policies and programs that provide technical assistance to school meal programs
• Coordinate outreach to child nutrition partners by creating interview guides and other data collection tools
• Compile, analyze, and summarize interview findings into resources such as success stories, blog posts, and social media
• Assist the Child Nutrition team in developing persuasive materials, such as fact sheets, talking points, and social media material
• Collaborate with coalition partners on timely child nutrition advocacy activities

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a relevant graduate (master’s or doctoral) degree program in public policy, nutrition, public or global health, or related area of study
• Experience in nutrition or health advocacy and policy preferred
• Knowledge of child nutrition programs preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to professionally engage and collaborate with various audiences
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals on time
• Commitment to health equity
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and summarize key qualitative themes

What Else You Should Know

CSPI pays interns $17.95 per hour. This may be adjusted to meet state/local minimum wage laws related to the work location. Our 10-week fall 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.

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.