Academic Experience

The Stark County Health Department is dedicated to facilitating, coordinating and enhancing the learning experience of students in an academic program within the field of public health.  The health department offers public health orientation sessions and student internship opportunities.  Providing students with an opportunity to see what a career in public health has to offer promotes potential recruitment and assists in the development of future public health professionals.   

Academic Health Department ImageThe Stark County Health Department is an Academic Health Department (AHD).  An AHD is a formal affilitation between an academic institution and a public health organization.  AHD’s serve as public health training sites for students of public health and health sciences programs.  AHD’s provide a practice setting where students can apply what they are learning in the classroom to real problems and challenges within the field.  The partnership also provides opportunities for public health and academic professionals to work together to better align the applicability of curriculum to the realities of public health practice. 

The Academic partner for the Stark County Health Department is Kent State University College of Public Health.  The Stark County Health Department is accepting students primarily from the degrees and programs offered in the College of Public Health. Please email us through one of the contacts listed below.  If you are from another University, we may have opportunities in specific areas, although limited.  You can email below and inquire. 

Purpose

The academic experiences provided by the Stark County Health Department:

  • Increase awareness of health department programs and services
  • Highlight the role public health plays within the community
  • Broaden awareness of the needs, challenges and career opportunities within the field
  • Enhance collaborative partnerships with academic institutions

Public Health Academic Session

The Stark County Health Department offers a public health academic session available to any college, university and/or high school student interested in the field of public health.  The health department’s academic session is an interactive three-and-a-half-hour session, offered multiple times a semester, that includes:

  • Quizzes and Activities 
  • Public Health 101
  • Public Health Department Structure
  • Service Area Presentations
    • Administration & Support Services
    • Environmental Health Services
    • Nursing Services

Student Internship Criteria 

Student interns must be enrolled at an accredited college or university within a relevant undergraduate, graduate, or professional public health program. A signed Affiliate Agreement will need to be submitted to the Stark County Health Department from the collaborating academic institution per internship program area.  The Affiliate Agreement will be updated every two years or according to the academic institution’s policy. The health department reserves the right to decline any internship requests, based on the current number of student internships, staff workload, availability of space and project need.

Students completing an internship at the health department will need to complete the following agreements and forms as well as review the listed policies. All agreements and forms need to be completed and returned to the health department.

Most of the student experiences with the health department are unpaid.  However, if there is a paid opportunity, those students will be subject to the same screenings (drug test & background check) as new health department employees.

To participate in a public health orientation session, please contact: