Undergraduate Student Opportunities in Global Mental Health
About The Program
There are a number of ways for undergraduate students to engage with the Global Mental Health Programs at Columbia University, including attending seminars, supporting research projects with relevant faculty, participating in the Global Mental Health Summer Internship, or writing for student-led mental health initiatives.
This page is divided into two sections to provide an overview of the various opportunities for undergraduate students during the summer time and throughout the year.
- During the summer, rising senior undergraduate students are welcome to apply for and participate in the Global Mental Health Summer Internship Program.
- Throughout the year, students can attend University Seminars, support research projects with relevant faculty, or write for the Young Minds for Mental Health or The Humanology Project.
- For more information on how to get involved, please reach out to [email protected]
Undergraduate Summer Internship Program
Since 2016, the Columbia University Global Mental Health Programs have hosted a competitive summer internship for rising senior undergraduates interested in the growing field of global mental health. Students participating in the summer internship program will be exposed to a wide range of didactic seminars and experiential learning opportunities and will be mentored by 1-3 departmental faculty focused on various global mental health initiatives. Additionally, students will gain exposure to networking within the healthcare research environment and develop the skills to apply an equity-informed lens into global mental health research and implementation. The summer internship runs for 8 weeks (typically beginning in June), with students working 4 days a week with the Columbia Global Mental Health Programs. Click here to download the full internship description.
The application for 2023 is now closed. Any questions can be directed to [email protected].
2023 Management Interns
2022 Management Interns
2022 Summer Interns
2021 Summer Interns
2020 Management Intern
2020 Summer Interns
2019 Summer Interns
2018 Summer Interns
2017 Summer Interns
Director of Summer Internship Program
Student Opportunities During the School Year
During the school year, Columbia University Seminar Series on Global Mental Health invites scholars and community leaders to speak about their work in the global mental health field.
Individuals can subscribe here to receive email reminders for upcoming Seminars.
University Seminars are open to the Columbia Community and to the Public.
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Young Minds for Mental Health
Young Minds for Mental Health is a coalition of college students striving to raise awareness and reduce stigma through conversation. They write weekly blog posts that are insightful, informative pieces about mental health to initiate dialogue, promote awareness, and give a voice to young people that empowers them to speak up in their own local communities, especially on college campuses.
Founded by high-school friends, Julia Pike-Forster and Sara Wetzler, who are juniors at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard College respectively, YMFMH brings together fellow college students to engage people to talk about mental health, educate the public on the importance of mental health as a critical and pervasive issue, and empower young advocates to speak up and take action. Although more and more young people are opening up and sharing their personal stories (which is truly incredible), oftentimes, college students are not involved in the discussion about the mental health field in general. Young Minds is a platform for students to share their personal stories, as well as comment on the culture on their college campuses and how mental health gets dealt with in college, on social media, and in conversations among peers.
Young Minds for Mental Health recognizes how important mental health is, and through these blog posts hope to give young people power to help make a change in their local communities. Check out the work of Young Minds for Mental Health at: https://youngmindsformentalhealth.com
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The Humanology Project
The Humanology Project aims for a reduction in stigma of mental & neurological illnesses by bridging the gap of knowledge and attitudes. We do so through the translation of peer reviewed literature into understandable articles and through a story-telling platform where patients can share their stories so readers gain a more holistic sense of the person. We envision a more inclusive & understanding world where people with stigmatized illnesses receive the quality of care and treatment they need.
Logos Course: Communicating Mental Health in the Media
This course provides a general introduction to communicating science effectively for the purposes of disseminating mental health information to the public. Students will practice writing about specific illnesses that are commonly misunderstood by the general public in a way that is clear & vivid without diluting the topic. They will also learn how to use communication techniques to connect with patients who deal with stigmatizing disorders. The work done in the course by the students will be continually published online through The Humanology Project.
Sanaya Shikari and Lucy Siegel, both Summer Interns in the Global Mental Health Programs, contributed to the development and completion of this course.
For students interested in taking the Logo course on stigma reduction, please visit the following sites:
- The lectures for the training course can be found here
- The workbook paired with the lectures can be downloaded here
Contact information: For further information on the Logos course on stigma reduction, please contact Neha Kinariwalla at [email protected]
