The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is the nation's leading cancer advocacy organization. Together with our charitable partner, the American Cancer Society, we work in Congress, state legislatures and local jurisdictions to support evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. Based in Washington, DC with offices throughout the country, ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. The intern will assist the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) local policy efforts, events and outreach. The intern will use community health promotion and education skills to outreach and build community support for cancer related policies in federal, state and local municipalities. They will support public policy efforts such as events and activities with administrative functions, grassroots organizing, earned media, and community outreach.
- Plan and support ACS CAN sponsored events to advance policy agendas
- Identify community events to collect petitions from supporters.
- Attend those events, and educate and recruit supporters for this policy.
- Track outreach events and outcomes.
- Meet with decision-makers and stakeholders to educate them about the benefits of the policy and secure support for the issue.
- Outreach to stakeholders and identify spokespersons and champions for these policies.
- Participate in meetings with decision-makers to discuss policy options.
- Conduct research on policies, policymakers, opponents and monitor online databases for news stories and cities agendas for related policy issues.
- Attend local coalition meetings
- Research status of policies and local elected officials who may be voting on them.
- Compile educational materials to support policy issues.
- Assist with development and editing of presentation materials, and educational fact sheets
- Do community presentations on policy issues
- Testify at city council
- •Have a minimum of a B average (cumulative 3.0 on 4.0 scale);
- Plan to continue their education in the following term/semester
- Note: an internship assignment may coincide with the student’s last term/trimester, but student must disengage upon graduation.