Boston Launched Public Health Internship Program
The city has partnered with UMass Boston to train college seniors to lead health education in local high schools.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Internships
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Boston city officials and UMass Boston have launched a new public health internship program designed to improve the local workforce pipeline. Through the Boston Public Health Commission, college students will receive training before teaching sexual and relational health education at city high schools.
Why it matters
The initiative aims to address ongoing workforce pipeline challenges and persistent health inequities within the city. By utilizing university students for classroom instruction, the program seeks to bolster local health education while preparing the next generation of public health professionals.
The UMass Boston Urban Public Health department serves 65 students and expects enrollment to grow to over 100 in the fall semester. This expansion follows a 2022 program launch and joins a broader initiative involving more than 30 Boston-area institutions.
The players
Boston Public Health Commission
This is the city agency responsible for protecting and improving the health of all Boston residents.
UMass Boston
This is a public research university located in Boston that offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
The details
Under the BPHC SPHERE initiative, UMass Boston seniors receive training from the Boston Public Health Commission during the fall. They subsequently provide supervised health education to students at Roxbury Prep, Boston Prep, and the Academy of the Pacific Rim.
Timeline
The UMass Boston Urban Public Health department launched in 2022.
The new internship partnership was publicly announced on September 21, 2026.
College seniors are currently receiving training with the city commission during the fall 2026 semester.
Students are scheduled to begin teaching at participating Boston high schools in the spring of 2027.
Market Landscape
This partnership mirrors a growing trend of industry-academia collaboration designed to bridge critical skill gaps in the public sector. It positions UMass Boston as a key supplier for the city's health workforce pipeline while expanding the reach of the BPHC SPHERE initiative.
Local high school families will see college-trained students providing supervised health education in their classrooms starting in the spring. This program aims to provide students with more robust relational and sexual health resources than previously available.
The takeaway
This program offers a model for how cities can solve recruitment shortages by utilizing local university talent. Residents can look forward to expanded health resources in participating schools as the academic pipeline continues to grow.
Further reading
Learn more about local career development through the Boston Internships page.
Live Poll
Do you support city-university partnerships to expand health education services in your local high schools?
