What happens when passionate students, community-rooted healthcare organizations, and meaningful projects come together? The answer: real-world experience that strengthens Vermont’s future health workforce – and brings a ripple of impact to rural communities across the state.
The College Student Health Internship Program (CSHIP) is a statewide, paid summer internship for college students who are curious about careers in health. It’s a 100-hour opportunity (including 80 hours of direct service and 20 hours of structured learning) for students to step into real community health roles – without needing a clinical background.
In 2025, 92 students applied – a testament to both the quality of the program and the growing interest in rural health careers. This competitive, non-clinical internship places students with local organizations to work on meaningful, flexible projects that improve care, outreach, and systems. From the state level to the dirt roads of rural Vermont, the impact is growing.
Growing CSHIP in Northern Vermont
Northern Vermont AHEC is in its second year of delivering CSHIP to students and communities in northern Vermont. In 2024, they placed five student interns. In 2025, they’ve doubled that number to 10 interns, working with 9 community-based host organizations across 7 towns and 5 counties, including:
- Towns: Newbury, St. Johnsbury, Morrisville, Barre, Lyndonville, Berlin, Newport
- Counties: Orange, Caledonia, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington
- Host Organizations: Little Rivers Health Care, Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, St. Johnsbury Community Hub, Department of Health – Morrisville, Central VT Council on Aging, Northeast Kingdom Human Services, HOPE (Helping Other People Everyday), Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, and North Country Hospital
These placements reflect the program’s goal: to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals while supporting the organizations already doing the work.
Real Projects. Real Impact.
Interns don’t just shadow professionals – they tackle real, community-identified projects. Just a few of the 2025 projects include:
- Credentialing for rural providers at Little Rivers Health Care in Newbury
- Independent living assessments for rural seniors receiving meal deliveries
- Impact storytelling and relationship mapping for the Community HUB in St. Johnsbury
- Outreach around lead poisoning prevention for the Department of Health in Morrisville
- Nutrition education and a televised series for older adults via Northeast Kingdom Human Services
- A training module for nurses on early detection of sepsis
Interns support these projects through a hybrid model that allows both in-person involvement and remote flexibility – for example, conducting outreach by phone, doing research, or creating educational materials from home.
A Learning Experience Beyond the Resume
In addition to project work, all interns complete 20 hours of didactic learning focused on rural health disparities and health equity. Through the Roots of Health Inequity self-paced curriculum, interns gain a deeper understanding of the systemic challenges that shape healthcare access and outcomes in rural Vermont.
The internship also fosters valuable career skills such as:
- Public speaking
- Customer service
- Organizational planning
- Research and data analysis
- Marketing and outreach strategies
More importantly, interns walk away with insight into the values and needs of rural communities – and often, a deeper sense of purpose.
Why It Matters
Student applicants said it best:
“I grew up and have lived in a rural community my whole life, so the needs of rural communities are important and relevant to me.”
“Making healthcare environments more efficient and productive could make the lives of hardworking people in rural areas feel just the slightest bit easier.”
“Pushing myself to learn more and combat internal unconscious bias I may hold will enhance me as a person and a future healthcare provider.”
These are students who care deeply about making a difference – and CSHIP is a chance to do just that.
Want to learn more?
Contact Tracy Truzansky, Director of Training & Curriculum, at ttruzansky@nvtahec.org.