Health Literacy Intern

PLEASE NOTE: Although this posting may display a longer availability window on Handshake due to system requirements, applications for this internship must be submitted by March 27.

This internship is part of the BRIDGE Fellows program, a workforce development initiative coordinated by the Kent County Health Department and the Grand Rapids LGBTQ Health Care Consortium. BRIDGE Fellows are hired and supported by KCHD and the Consortium but placed with community partner organizations across Kent County to work on projects that address local public health priorities. While the Fellow will spend most of their time working with the host site listed below, they will also participate in cohort activities, mentorship, and professional development coordinated by KCHD and the Consortium.

Host Site: Literacy Center of West Michigan

Time Commitment: Approximately 10 hours per week 

Project Description:

The Literacy Center of West Michigan is seeking an intern to support their Health Literacy Initiative, which provides free health literacy and contextualized English classes to adult learners across the city. The program helps learners build practical English skills while gaining the knowledge and confidence needed to navigate the healthcare system for themselves and their families. 

Instruction focuses on real-world healthcare interactions such as scheduling medical appointments, understanding well-child visits, reading medication labels and dosage instructions, communicating with healthcare providers, visiting the dentist, and interpreting common medical forms. All classes are taught by professional adult education instructors. To reduce barriers to participation, the program provides free childcare and transportation for learners.

The intern will play a key support role in the success of this initiative by assisting both the instructor and the class coordinator inside and outside the classroom. Responsibilities may include helping prepare instructional materials, supporting classroom activities and listening sessions, assisting with participant communication and follow-up, and providing logistical and administrative support.

Ideal candidates will be reliable, proactive, responsive, and comfortable working collaboratively in a team environment.

Community Importance:

Limited health literacy can make it difficult for individuals to understand medical instructions, communicate effectively with healthcare providers, and navigate healthcare systems. These challenges can lead to poorer health outcomes and increased barriers to accessing care.

The Health Literacy Initiative addresses these challenges by helping adult learners develop the language skills and practical knowledge needed to confidently manage their health and healthcare interactions. By integrating English language learning with real-world health topics, the program strengthens participants’ ability to advocate for themselves and their families while reducing barriers to care.

Through this internship, students will gain experience in community-based education, health equity initiatives, and resource navigation while supporting adult learners in building essential health literacy and self-advocacy skills.

Project Deliverables: 

• Assist with preparation and organization of instructional materials for health literacy classes
• Provide logistical and administrative support during class sessions and related activities
• Support participant communication and follow-up efforts
• Assist with classroom activities and listening sessions to support learner engagement
• Contribute to data collection and reporting related to program activities
• Support coordination with community partners and guest presenters when applicable

Minimum Qualifications: Students applying for this internship must be enrolled in an associates, bachelor’s or master’s degree program. Computer proficiency is required. Experience with Microsoft Suite preferred.