Internship - Oral Health Unit

Full Job Description

This internship is a temporary part-time (minimum 5 hours/week), remote Internship within Colorado and will exist for 2 months or less. Applicants must be located in Colorado.

This is a non-employee internship position. No benefits are available. This position is not covered by the Partnership Agreement between the State of Colorado and Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions (COWins)

Make a real difference . .Do you have a passion and drive to apply your talent to create a better Colorado?

Are you looking for an internship that provides you with opportunities to learn how to improve the world around you?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is seeking diverse individuals from all backgrounds to apply for a fantastic unpaid internship position that provides experiential learning about improving the lives of Colorado citizens.

Our mission is to protect and improve the health of Colorado's people and the quality of its environment.

If your goal is to pursue a career upon graduation that makes a difference, consider an internship with the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Our tobacco-free campus offers free parking and is conveniently located near RTD bus lines, the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Glendale City Set, and the Cherry Creek bike path.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Requirements

Tentative Start Date:
Summer 2026 Internship
Desired start date is 5/18/2026 to 7/17/2026

About the Work Unit:

The Cavity Free at Three program at the Oral Health Unit is recognized as an evidence-driven program.

Cavity Free at Three improves the oral health of Colorado’s children and pregnant people by improving access to preventive oral health services.

The integrated care program teaches medical clinicians how to incorporate oral health screenings, fluoride varnish application, and patient goal setting into prenatal and well child visits.

It also offers training for dental professionals on the current recommendations for preventive services.

Internship Description:

Project Title: Oral Health Unit Internship

Salary: This internship is unpaid.
Project Description:

This project will facilitate work to develop a comprehensive three-year outreach plan for the Cavity Free at Three program. This outreach plan will include components such as a provider scan and updates to outreach materials and messaging.

Objectives:

• By the end of the student's internship, the student will develop a comprehensive, three-year, outreach plan for Cavity Free at Three by identifying medical and dental clinics in priority counties in Colorado;

• Updating Cavity Free at Three messaging and outreach materials;

• Establishing measurable engagement goals and ensuring the outreach plan is ready for implementation.

Deliverables or outcomes:

• Student has updated outreach materials/messaging;

• Student has created an outreach plan;

• Student has identified best practices for sustainability efforts in medical-dental integration programming;

• Student has updated the provider scan.
  
  

Which Public Health Core Competencies skills does the project develop?

1) Communication
2) Interprofessional Practice
3) Public Health and Health Care Systems
4) Planning and Management to Promote Health

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
Qualified candidates must be either:

Bachelors or Masters student enrolled in an accredited college or university seeking a degree program in Health Sciences, Public Health, or closely related fields.

OR

A recent bachelors or masters graduate with a completed degree in Health Sciences, Public Health, or closely related fields. Recently graduated means the individual should have attended an accredited college or university and have graduated with a bachelors or masters degree in Health Sciences, Public Health, or closely related fields within three calendar years (include transcripts).

College Transcripts:
You must be using education to qualify, a legible copy of your official or unofficial college transcript(s) or a foreign credential evaluation report must be submitted with your application. Transcripts must show the name of the school and that a degree was conferred. Transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service. Failure to provide a transcript or foreign credential evaluation report may result in your application being rejected and you will not be able to continue in the selection process for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in project management and facilitation, including establishing goals and timetables, securing and coordinating resources, monitoring progress, engaging and working with other personnel or teams, measuring results, developing contingencies, and reporting out.

• Broad understanding of public health practice and prevention science including initiatives, regulations, resource stewardship, development of workforce competencies, trends, best practices and emerging issues.

• Highly competent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt style to fit audience and context.
  
  

Conditions of employment:

• Pursuant to CDPHE policy, a background check is required for all positions at CDPHE.
• Signed Non-Employee Confidentiality Agreement is required
• If you will be using this internship for academic credit, a Signed Affiliation Agreement is required between CDPHE and your University.

Additional Information

Supplemental Information:

A complete application packet must include:

• A completed State of Colorado application.
• A resume.
• If you are using education to qualify, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing that your degree has been conferred and the name of your school, or your NACES accreditation. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.

The Selection Process

1. All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed. Candidates who are selected for further consideration will proceed to the next step and all applicants will be notified by email of their status at each step of the process.

ADAAA Accommodations:

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Dan McKenna, at daniel.mckenna@state.co.usor call 303-692-2060, option 5.