2025 Summer Child Nutrition Policy Internship

The Center for Science in the Public Interest 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

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, your food and health watchdog, 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. More recently, CSPI has also been involved in broader public health advocacy on issues such as scientific integrity, alcohol policy, agency transparency, and the regulation of selected medical products.

About the Internship Opportunity

The intern will work on state and local policy initiatives to increase access to and improve the nutritional quality of school foods. Chiefly, this will include supporting a research project to inform our advocacy on sufficient time-to-eat (TTE) policies, which ensure that K-12 students have enough time to eat breakfast and lunch at school. The intern will conduct outreach to state agencies and/or school districts across the U.S. regarding their TTE policies and summarize findings. The intern may also support other projects related to school meals advocacy.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical and research assistance to support our work on school nutrition policies
• Help to identify and cultivate partnerships with local, state, and national groups to support our school foods work
• 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 relevant graduate degree program (e.g., public health, public policy, food systems, or nutrition)
• Experience (or interest) in nutrition or health advocacy and policy
• Excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills 
• Ability to speak with external stakeholders in a professional manner
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage tasks appropriately to achieve project goals
• Commitment to health equity

What Else You Should Know 

CSPI pays interns $17.50 per hour at the start of the internship. Intern pay will increase to $18.00 per hour effective 7/1/2025 (this may be adjusted to meet state/local minimum wage laws related to the work location). Our 10-week summer intern program is full-time (40 hours per week). We provide two paid holidays (Juneteenth and Independence Day), ½ day Fridays, and up to two days of paid sick leave. The ideal start date is late May/early June, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. The internship is remote (must be in the US), with the opportunity to work from our DC office if desired.  

As a public health organization, CSPI makes efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees and visitors. We require all employees to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are eligible, and the vaccine is available to them. 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 are not looking for everyone to think and look the same. 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 in order to build trust and integrity within our organization. 
• We are accountable. We acknowledge and assume responsibility for our actions. 
• 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 and shared success. 

To Apply 

Please utilize CSPI's Paylocity Applicant Tracking System to apply for the Summer 2025 Child Nutrition Policy Internship. You must submit a resume, cover letter, and two professional references (please upload separate documents for each). In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in the Child Nutrition Policy Internship and describe your relevant experience and/or skillset that will contribute to success in this role. Applicants are required to follow these specific instructions to be considered for this internship. The application deadline is 5:00pm, ET, February 25, 2025.

CSPI is committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and encourages people of diverse ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, disabilities, religions, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, work, and life experiences to apply.