Charles B. Wang Community Health Center | Project AHEAD

Project Asian Health Education and Development (AHEAD) is a 9-week summer internship program designed to give training and experience to college students who have an interest in pursuing a career in health care. Project AHEAD 2019 will take place Monday, June 17, 2019 through Friday, August 16, 2019, and will be located in lower Manhattan.

What to Expect

Students will be exposed to various health care careers, and gain an understanding of the history and dynamics of the New York Asian American community, and of current health issues impacting the health status of Asian Americans in the United States. Interns will have the opportunity to create and implement a community health project and attend seminars and workshops based on the group’s interests.

Stipend

Interns will receive a $1,000 stipend for the summer program. The Health Center will not be responsible for housing accommodation, food or travel expenses. If accepted applicants are not New York City residents, please contact your school for possible NYC housing opportunities available to interns.

Requirements

Program requirements include currently an undergraduate student in second, third or final year of college at the time of application, interest in health care and the Asian American community, and have a time commitment for Monday – Friday, promptly at 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., including some early mornings and weekends. Please plan your vacation time accordingly so it does not interfere with the program’s schedule. We cannot accommodate international students or students who are studying temporarily in the United States.

Application

Applications are only accepted online, and include an online application, resume, personal statement, and letter of recommendation. Complete applications must be submitted no later than February 15, 2019. Late applications will not be accepted. Academic transcripts are not required and will not be accepted. Applicants may be contacted for an interview for more information. These interviews will take place between February 25 and 28, 2019. Prepare all your information and documents needed before starting the online application because there is no "save and return" feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical day like for a Project AHEAD intern?

Each day is different depending on the availability of speakers and is driven by the interests of the cohort. For example, the 2018 cohort wanted to learn more about social justice reform, so the Project AHEAD Coordinator organized a panel workshop with guest speakers from the community and the justice department, to speak and reflect on what reform means to them.

8:45am – Get settled in before the guest speaker arrives

9:00am – Keynote speaker or Panelists from the Health Center, community partners, local government, or alumni discuss various topics including medical ethics, research methods training, developmental pediatrics, mental health, nutrition, hepatitis b, criminal justice reform, Asian Americans in politics, and public health careers.

11:00am – Break for lunch

12:00pm - Work on the community health project with the cohort

3:00pm - Team building exercises with the Project AHEAD coordinator

5:00pm – End of Day

I’m currently a college freshman and I’m interested in applying for Project AHEAD Internship for 2019 summer. Am I eligible to apply?

Unfortunately, we currently limit the Project AHEAD internship for current sophomores, juniors, and seniors. This is done to keep the applicant pool from becoming too large as the program accommodates less than 10 interns. We do encourage you to apply next year when you are eligible.

Do you provide an opportunity to shadow a doctor or nurse at the Health Center?

Over the years, we have gradually limited the number of shadowing in the program and expect to have 1-2 opportunities for the interns the following year. There are other hospitals and centers that do offer this specific experience in the community that we encourage you to look into.

What have been the topics of past Community Health Projects on?

Addressing low health literacy

Immigrant and non-immigrant Asian teen smoking

Parent-teen communication on sexual health

Awareness of HIV/AIDS rapid testing

Survey of adolescent stress

Awareness of skin health

Adolescent awareness of diabetes

Balancing cholesterol intake for cardiovascular health

Awareness & prevention of osteoporosis

Education on glaucoma and eye health

Awareness of bullying in children and teens

Mental health, gender, and sexuality

Are all workshops and activities mandatory?

Yes, attendance in all program activities is mandatory unless you are excused by the Project AHEAD Coordinator for reasons of illness or personal emergency. You should not schedule summer school, vacation, or other activities that might interfere with your Project AHEAD schedule.

Testimonials from Project AHEAD 2018 Cohort

“I learned lots of things from this experience, including strategies of teambuilding, presentation skill, and writing project proposal. I really appreciate [that the] Charles B. Wang Community Health Center offers this program to young adults because it expanded my views on different aspects of Healthcare field from patient care provider to social justice. After joining Project AHEAD, I am aware of many Asian American issues, such as health disparities, health policy, LGBTQ health, and mental health. I want to contribute more to our community not only as a PCP but also get involved in public health.”

“There are so many things that I loved about Project AHEAD. One of my favorite parts of the program was attending the various workshops and presentations. Hearing about people’s life stories and their paths to their careers was incredibly inspiring. The speakers also showed me how intertwined health care professions are with social justice and activism, which was absolutely crucial to the development of my future career as a physician. Additionally, it was amazing to see strong Asian American woman represented in the healthcare field as well as in politics and to understand my role in the Asian American community and its history. I liked working on a community health project that was important to all of us and working as a team with all the interns.”

“I have learned a lot about the socioeconomics of Asian American health and the prominence of always being interactive with the Asian American to some capacity. However, the thing that affected me the most has been the understanding that our misrepresentation and lack of representation or media presence continues to exacerbate Asian American health and social issues that I care about.  I think I will try to take a more proactive role to change this.”

More information

Please contact Rachelle Ocampo at rocampo@cbwchc.org or (212) 379-6988 with questions or for more information.