Putting theory into practice--CDC's summer program in environmental health (SUPEH).

volume 73 • Number 6 which the registered environmental health specialist (REHS) should be proficient (see sidebar on page 97). In addition to these technical competencies, 14 core compe­ tencies for environmental health practi­ tioners have been identified by an expert panel convened by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and CDC (see sidebar on page 98). Diverse competency requirements reinforce the importance of exposing environmental health interns to the many aspects of the profession, both technical and professional. The CDC Summer Program in Environ­ mental Health (SUPEH) is designed to pro­ vide interns with a broad internship experi­ ence while exposing them to the technical and core competencies mentioned above. SUPEH is a 10-week program that exposes students to field practices and operations in a variety of environmental health topic areas at the local, state, and federal government levels. Four interns are selected by a com­ petitive process on the basis of academic performance, quality of written essays, and professional references. Interns are located within the National Center for Environmen­ tal Health (NCEH) of CDC and assigned to the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB). Eligible students must be major­ ing in environmental health at academic programs accredited by the National Envi­ ronmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). SUPEH builds environmental healthbased knowledge by providing opportuni­ ties to engage in field work, project man­ agement, professional development, and mentorship. Prior to arrival, interns are asked about preferences regarding a specif­ ic area in environmental health. NCEH at­ tempts to align each intern’s stated interests with a project that the intern completes over the course of the summer. Roughly 50% of the intern’s time is spent completing the project, while the other 50% is spent immersing the intern into a comprehensive