Mind 4 Youth Internship Program: Cultivating Future Mental Health Leaders
The Mind 4 Youth Internship Program is a community-based career development initiative designed for California students, with a specific emphasis on those hailing from structurally marginalized communities. The program aims to address the critical need for diversity in the mental health field by providing opportunities for young people to gain experience, mentorship, and skills in this vital sector.
Program Overview
The Youth Mental Health Academy (YMHA) is committed to diversifying the mental health field and strongly encourages applications from students with backgrounds or experiences that are historically underrepresented in mental health careers. The purpose of the Youth Mental Health Academy is to increase representation in the mental health field of groups who have historically lacked access to these careers. Students in the Academy’s first cohort will be recruited from structurally marginalized populations in Southern California. The state of California is committed to expanding access to mental health care for all Californians and recognizes that a lack of diverse mental health professionals is a significant barrier to achieving that goal. To address this, the state partnered with the Child Mind Institute to launch a program that reaches underserved and underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ youth, and students from rural and low-income backgrounds. Together, we are working to cultivate the next generation of diverse mental health leaders. The Child Mind Institute is the nation’s leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health.
Key Program Components
The Mind 4 Youth Internship Program is structured around several key components designed to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for participants:
Mentorship
Participants are matched with a mentor who is in a health-related field. College or graduate students in health-related fields can apply to mentor a small group of students. Mentors provide guidance, support, and real-world insights into the mental health field. Stay engaged and informed throughout the school year with monthly workshops and check-ins with your mentor.
Summer Academy
During your first summer, participate in a paid five-week summer academy. The summer academy serves as an intensive introduction to the mental health field.
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Capstone Project
Synthesize the information, skills, and practices you’ve acquired during the summer academy to develop a culminating capstone project with the support of your mentor. This project allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to a specific issue or challenge in mental health.
Internship Experience
During your second summer, gain real-world experience working as an intern in the mental health field. Supervisors in mental health and related fields can apply to host YMHA interns at their organization. You'll create roles within your organization and mentor students during the summer. This hands-on experience provides invaluable exposure to the day-to-day realities of working in mental health.
Ongoing Support
Stay engaged and informed throughout the school year with monthly workshops and check-ins with your mentor. The program provides ongoing support and resources to help students stay connected and continue their learning throughout the school year.
Eligibility and Application
This year’s program is available to Los Angeles County high school students. The Youth Mental Health Academy (YMHA) is committed to diversifying the mental health field and strongly encourages applications from students with backgrounds or experiences that are historically underrepresented in mental health careers. We value diversity in all forms and recognize that many life experiences shape a student’s perspective and commitment to mental health.
During the application period, there will be a link on this page to the online application form. You’ll need to complete the application in full and submit before the deadline. At this time, internships are not available to students entering the 2026-2027 cohort.
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The Lawrence Hall of Science Teen Internship Program
For over 50 years, The Lawrence Hall of Science has provided fun and engaging science experiences for young people. Now, you, too, can be part of the magic of science learning while enriching your teaching skills. In this Teen Internship Program, you will inspire young learners with curiosity, excitement, and passion for science. Together, you and the adult staff will mentor youth on a journey of exploration, investigation, discovery, and invention in multiple modalities and through interdisciplinary learning.
This program offers an ideal opportunity for teens with a science-oriented mind and a relationship-oriented personality. As an intern, you will gain practical skills, knowledge, and tools to facilitate fun, engaging, and meaningful hands-on science learning for youth. The program provides an excellent opportunity for professional and personal growth, and adds valuable teaching experience to your college application and/or resume.
The Teen Internship Program requires teens to participate in two components: the Workshop Trainings, held before summer begins, and the Summer Placement. Stipend: $3,500 for full summer participation. Missed time will result in a deduction from the stipend.
Intern Responsibilities and Daily Activities
Upon arrival, interns meet with their educational team (teen interns and adult staff assigned to a camp group) and then make their way to camp check-in. Once all campers have arrived, the interns and adult staff lead the group to the classroom, where they dive into activities like scientific explorations, investigations, and/or engineering and creating. Activities vary based on programming for the specific day. Days may include exploring the Outdoor Nature Lab, investigating Forces that Shape the Bay, or visiting other exhibits at The Lawrence. The campers’ lunch and snack breaks are outdoors in the Outdoor Nature Lab, where interns help supervise and facilitate activities and games. After lunch, afternoon activities occur in the same fashion as the morning activities. At the end of the day, interns aid in camp check-out.
Teen interns support adult staff by facilitating games and activities, preparing materials, helping campers complete projects, and more! Working with the team to create a safe and fun environment for the campers helps with classroom management and engagement.
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Mind4Youth Initiatives
Mind4Youth's Gahr High School chapter recently made HeartCare kits and distributed them to local libraries. Mind4Youth's Windermere chapter recently created HeartCare kits. Recently, a HeartCare event was held at the public library, where kits were made by volunteers.
Supervisor Guidelines for Internships
Supervisors are encouraged to clearly communicate with interns if their conduct or work performance does not meet expectations. Please be in regular communication with the Job Coach. If an intern is late once, let us know so that we can address it before it becomes chronic. The internship director Erin Frawley or Talia Uribe may be brought into the situation if an intern is not adjusting their behavior.
Key Considerations for Supervisors
Put Yourself in the Youth’s Shoes: Remember to visualize yourself at the youth’s age. Interns are at a developmental stage where they are trying to determine who they are and where they fit in the world. Be open to questions and offer corrections. Youth need structure and clear goals.
Foster Communication: Be willing to answer what might seem to be obvious questions. Encourage your intern to ask questions about anything they do not understand or about any specific interests they might have. Ask the intern questions about him/herself to create a healthy rapport. During remote internships be in regular communication throughout each shift. Have conversations with clear goals for each shift before the shift starts. Share live documents where the youth can leave comments, questions, and concerns for the supervisor to review and reply to in real time or when they have a moment to review the documents.
Give Clear Instructions: Be specific and direct with your instructions about a task, particularly regarding expected due dates and formats. Your clarity will help your intern have early successes on which they can build.
Balance Criticism & Praise: It is said that we hear praise, but take criticism to heart. This is especially true for your youth.
Additional Internship Opportunities
Opportunities to support youth and young adults in their career journey by providing in-demand internship opportunities. Submit An Interest Form via the Interest Form link. Register a user account in our Employer Portal. The Employer Engagement team will review applications for completion. If we require any additional information, we will reach out before our application deadline. By mid-May, we will reach out to all prospective employer sites regarding their application status. Those who receive an intern will be able to then check in the Employer Portal (using your User Account login) and indicate how many youth have been placed and their contact information. Plan and share the work plan you envision for the intern(s). SYEP offers Pathways for those who have a career sector already in mind. Participants within this program also receive job readiness skills training and workshops from subject matter experts, and are provided opportunities to job shadow and interview professionals within their chosen career field. Download the help guide to create an account and for detailed instructions to submit an application. Create an account and complete the online application. Participants within this program receive job readiness skills training and career planning workshops from dedicated, trained staff while receiving 1:1 intensive support to help with personal and professional development. Participants who complete all eligibility screenings will be invited to participate in our internship placement process.
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