Occupational Health Internship Program

Join us in exploring the essential field of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) from the perspective of those who know it best: the workers.

What you will gain:

• Investigating real work-related safety and health issues 
• Developing valuable applied research skills 
• Learning about Occupational Health and Safety from the ground up 
• Attend 3-day Orientation (paid) at UCLA
• Presenting your findings at a national NIOSH web conference 
• Producing a comprehensive final report 

The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) is a national summer program dedicated to help students learn about the field of occupational safety and health (OSH) from those with most at stake: working people. Since 2004, OHIP has played a key role in training, mentoring and inspiring a new generation of OSH professionals to prevent work-related injury and disease through partnerships with labor and worker organizations. 

2024 projects included documenting experiences of workplace violence among retail workers and developing prevention strategies, exploring the interrelations of public health and exploitative conditions of caregivers and recommending prevention strategies, and conducting health and safety training with migrant farmworkers.

Teams of two students are placed with a union or worker organization to investigate work-related safety and health problems among workers. Projects are designed to maximize interaction between workers and students. Project work emphasizes worker interviews and worksite evaluations. 

At the end of the project, teams provide a “give back” product to the workers and their host union/worker organization, present their project at a national NIOSH web-conference, and produce a final report. 

Qualifications

Graduate and undergraduate students can apply; some stipends are restricted to US citizens. Non-US citizens must supply documentation of permission to work in the US. Undergraduates must have completed two years. Recent graduates cannot
be out of school for more than six months prior to the start of OHIP (i.e., students are
not eligible if they graduated prior to December of 2024). We are looking for students with experience or interest in working with unions or social justice organizations, are organized and self-starting, have good team skills and ideally speak a second language such as Spanish and Vietnamese. We also seek students who have skills to work independently and as a team member in environments where interactions with partners of varied backgrounds and experiences are encouraged.

Undergraduate Students (juniors and seniors) = $5,000 stipend 

Graduate Students = $6,000 stipend 

Commitment is full-time, including possible evenings or weekends