Summer Policy Intern

Trust for America’s Health

2026 Summer Internship Application (Washington, DC)

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is searching for motivated undergraduate students, graduate students, or recent graduates to join our Summer 2026 internship program, running from mid-May 2026 to August 2026.

Located in Washington, DC, TFAH is a non-profit, non-partisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority. TFAH envisions a nation that values the health and well-being of all and where prevention and health equity are foundational to policymaking at all levels of society. TFAH’s key focus areas include public health preparedness, obesity, health equity, substance misuse and suicide, public health funding, population health, and healthy aging – all with an emphasis on advancing health equity and addressing the social and economic factors that affect a person’s and community’s health.

During the internship, the selected candidates will have the chance to gain hands-on experience on a variety of public health policy-related issues, enhance their professional skills, and receive mentorship and general professional development opportunities.

If you are passionate about making a positive impact through advocacy, strategic communications, and policy development, we would love to hear from you! This paid summer internship, which runs from mid-May 2026 to August 2026, requires the intern to work 20 to 30 hours per week. TFAH is currently seeking an intern for each of the following opportunities:

• Government Relations: TFAH’s Government Relations team builds and maintains relationships with federal executive and legislative officials and works with national partners and policymakers to impact policy change. The Government Relations intern will help with researching Congressional background information, and other materials; setting up meetings with Congressional staffers and partners; doing research for and drafting regulatory letters; and entering information into a database. The intern will also attend briefings, hearings, meetings and participate in other organizational efforts.
• Policy Development: TFAH’s Policy Development team conducts research and assesses the public health landscape to inform advocacy and policy change, identify emerging issues and opportunities for systems change, and host convenings and other public-facing efforts. In addition to these activities, the Policy Development team focuses primarily on three areas: 1) developing strategies to expand public health practice in healthy aging 2) analyzing state-level policies that can be adopted and implemented to promote health and reduce costs, and 3) supporting internal initiatives to understand the current federal and state health policy landscape. The Policy Development intern will provide support to overall policy development goals and the age-friendly public health project by researching issues pertinent to healthy aging, social drivers of health, and other key topics; contributing to the development and the writing of policy reports and other materials; tracking policy and legislation, and helping to plan and execute policy convenings and other meetings. The intern will also attend briefings, hearings, meetings and participate in other organizational efforts.

Note: The intern may provide support to other departments at TFAH as needed.

Requirements

The ideal candidate for this internship should be currently enrolled in or a recent graduate of a program in public health, public policy, political science, communications, or a related field. A strong interest in public health and policy, particularly regarding promoting health equity and addressing the social determinants of health within TFAH’s priority areas, is desired. Strong writing and organizational abilities are a must, as well as the ability to work collaboratively as well as independently.

This is a paid internship, offering $20.00 per hour for undergraduate students and $24.00 per hour for graduate students. We have a hybrid work environment. This position is based in Washington, DC and requires two days in the office.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should complete this application form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed. For questions, please contact internships@tfah.org.

Trust for America’s Health is an equal opportunity employer. TFAH does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.