This summer’s interns will support Title V agencies by tackling projects around topics like compassionate care after pregnancy loss, emergency preparedness, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The National MCH Workforce Development Center has selected 12 talented MCH students from a competitive pool of applicants to join our summer 2026 Title V MCH Internship Program!
Since 2014, we have matched graduate and undergraduate students — in teams of two — with internship placements in state and jurisdictional Title V programs. Our program supports each team of student interns to complete a 10-week project focused on improving the health of women, children, families and communities.
The aim of the Title V MCH Internship Program is to provide future MCH professionals with experience working in state and jurisdictional Title V agencies, with mentorship and guidance from Title V agency preceptors. The team aspect of the program allows students to work collaboratively on a project under the guidance of their agency preceptor, while learning new knowledge and skills from each other.
“This internship program reflects the strength of the MCH community — students eager to learn and experienced preceptors committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders,” said Dorothy Cilenti, DrPH, MPH, the Director of the National MCH Workforce Development Center. “We are grateful to our Title V agency partners for investing in these emerging professionals.”
Each two-person intern team consists of a graduate MCH student from a Center of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice and an MCH student from either an MCH Graduate Public Health Catalyst program or from an MCH Leadership, Education, and Advancement in Undergraduate Pathways (LEAP) Training Program.
The summer 2026 interns are:
- Stella Agolli, BS (MPH and MBA candidate at Montclair State University)
- Allison Barham, BS (MPH candidate at the University of Pittsburgh)
- Crystal Finzer, BS (MPH candidate at the University of Pittsburgh)
- Nya Freeney, BA (MPH candidate at Emory University)
- Aimee Hagins, BS (MPH candidate at the University of Illinois Chicago)
- Audrey Helmreich, BA (MPH candidate at University of Michigan)
- Luce Jean Baptiste, BS (MPH candidate at the University of South Florida)
- Stacey Johnson, BA (MPH candidate at the University of Pittsburgh)
- Sofia Londono del Rio (BS and MPH candidate at The George Washington University)
- Anna Phan (BS candidate at the University of South Carolina)
- Charlotte Stow, BA (MPH candidate at the University of Minnesota)
- Zoe Tew, MEd (MPH candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
This year, students will work with Title V programs in Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Utah.
In 2026, the interns’ projects include deliverables that will:
- Advance the quality of compassionate care for families experiencing pregnancy loss, miscarriage, or infant death.
- Strengthen program evaluation and the local capacity of Title V grantees.
- Advance a Title V agency’s knowledge of how to support maternal and perinatal mental health.
- Increase a Title V agency’s understanding of how to ensure trauma-informed programming is prioritized across the Title V population domains.
- Improve emergency preparedness and planning for a state’s MCH populations.
- Engage in big picture thinking to increase the state’s understanding of MCH and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve outcomes for the MCH populations.
As part of their full-time work at Title V agencies, students also attend more than 15 hours of live, interactive learning sessions with Center experts. Student interns will learn essential MCH skills, learn about the MCH system of care — nationally and within the state they are working in — and have opportunities to network with MCH leaders.