Job Description: We are seeking highly motivated, compassionate, and energetic summer interns to help lead a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) program with 6 to 8 teens in the Richmond/San Pablo area as part of the 2024 UCSF-UC Berkeley YPAR Summer Intern Program. With your guidance, the YPAR students will spearhead a research project related to ongoing health research at the UCSF Clear Lab (https://clear.ucsf.edu/ youth-participatory-action-research-ypar). This full-time program consists of didactics, field trips to different research labs, hands-on fieldwork experience, and personalized career development with teens (ages 14-17) living in Richmond and the surrounding area. The experience will include a three-week orientation and training, an 8-week summer program, and 2-week wrap-up from May 22 to August 14, 2024. The program is in-person and splits time between Lifelong Medical William Jenkins Health Center and the UC Berkeley Campus.  As in person, we will require Student Leads to provide proof of COVID vaccination (in line with UCSF policy for on-site employees). Position is paid. 

Using a YPAR model (http://yparhub.berkeley.edu/), you will lead daily sessions with the students and help the students conceptualize, design, carry out, and analyze a research question that matters to their community. Towards the end of this fast-paced summer program, you will teach students how to create presentations and develop the communication skills needed to present a summary of their project to family members, the LifeLong Medical team, and public officials of Richmond and Contra Costa County. Results will also be added to the Richmond Environment Asthma Community Health (REACH) Study, a longitudinal study examining the social and environmental contributors to asthma.  

Our past YPAR projects have focused on collecting information on the Richmond and San Pablo neighborhoods. The 2019 YPAR cohort used a neighborhood audit tool to systematically collect information on orders and disorders in the neighborhood (e.g., trash, broken windows, schools, parks, etc). Informed by their own experiences and introductory lectures on stress and the environment, the students came up with their own research question: Is order/disorder associated with lower household income, more home vacancy, and more asthma-related ED visits? The 2020 YPAR cohort targeted the health risks related to access to healthy foods and food insecurity, asking, “How does neighborhood quality to physical green space impact physical activity and access to healthy food?” Our 2021 cohort used a qualitative research method called PhotoVoice to answer their research question, “How do deterrents in recreational areas affect stress and chronic health diseases?”. Lastly, the most recent cohorts in 2022 and 2023 build upon previous YPAR as they tried to answer the question, “What interventions can benefit health and wellness by improving environmental disorders in areas that the Richmond community uses often?” Through community surveys they were able to identify the most pressing environmental disorders in Richmond and the best interventions to improve environmental disorder in accordance with the Richmond community.

If you are interested in applying, please submit a 1-page cover letter and a CV describing your interests and experience to [email protected].

Job responsibilities include: 

• Creating a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community for students 
• Working independently and in conjunction with UCSF faculty and staff and community partners 
• Supporting with the planning and execution of the YPAR summer program 
• Creating schedules for student activities, securing class locations, and making lists of supplies needed for daily lessons 
• Supervising and actively engaging students in the curriculum 
• Assisting students in the development of the research project and the data collection process. This includes familiarization with REDCap. 
• Actively contribute to other administrative needs (e.g., documenting progress of students, assisting students in meeting deadlines for poster and PowerPoint presentation) 
• Network with community stakeholders to provide invitations for the final YPAR presentation 
• Communicate updates to students’ parents on progress of their teen throughout the program 

Expectations include 

• Attending the full three-week orientation  
• Availability from Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, throughout the entire 12-week program starting May 22 to August 14, 2024. Up to 1-week of off-time is allowable as long as discussed prior to the start of program. We expect interns to be available during these times, with final work schedule to come. 
• Being punctual, and working the required number of hours as agreed to by the intern and supervisor 
• Must have a valid Driver's License and clean driving record. In this position, you will be responsible for the pickup and transportation of YPAR students throughout the program as needed. Leads are expected to be well-organized and communicate frequently to students the lesson plans and expectations of each day 
• Proactively preparing and reading lessons and activities 
• Researching appropriate websites and resources to support the project 
• Maintaining good communication with UCSF faculty, staff, community partners, parents, and students 
• Ensuring program safety and security, enforcing all UCSF safety and risk management policies 
• Reporting and responding to disciplinary problems appropriately, completing incident reports as needed