Policy Intern (Fall 2026)

Position Title: Intern

Location: Remote, but must be a college student/recent graduate residing in the U.S.

About the Active Minds Internship Program

Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization changing the culture around mental health. Through our presence at more than 800 high school and college campuses, in corporate settings, and with a wide-reaching public audience, Active Minds is creating communities of support and saving lives. Founded in 2003 by Alison Malmon after the tragic suicide of her brother Brian, Active Minds is dedicated to supporting a new generation in ending the silence, helping to make mental health as highly valued as physical health. Through our many programs – including the emotionally gripping Send Silence Packing® traveling exhibit and our compelling Active Minds Speakers – we are changing culture and behaviors related to mental health across the country. 

Our internships are geared towards current college students and recent college graduates.  As a small nonprofit, Active Minds relies on the help of our interns tremendously as they work directly on important initiatives and projects as well as assist staff on a variety of administrative tasks. Interns have the opportunity to do substantive work, gain experience in the nonprofit sector, and help change the culture around mental health. 

All Fall 2026 internships will be remote with an anticipated start date of Monday, September 14th, 2026 and end date of Friday, December 4th, 2026. We expect interns to work a minimum of 20 hours a week, set a consistent work schedule between 9:00am and 5:00pm EST Monday - Friday, and commit to staying on board for the entire semester. 

Active Minds pays interns $18 per hour. 

Policy Internship

We're seeking a motivated intern to support our policy and advocacy work. This role offers hands-on experience in policy, coalition, advocacy, and youth engagement, working directly with the Policy Director on day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives. Interns will have the opportunity to be included in meetings, debriefs, and calls so they can learn more about the policy process firsthand from the programs and policy team.

Key Responsibilities

• Take notes during meetings, webinars, and coalition calls, and manage follow-up action items
• Provide administrative support to the Policy Director, including scheduling and correspondence
• Attend and help coordinate meetings, coalition calls, actions alerts, and webinars
• Support engagement with youth and young adults interested in advocacy and policy work
• Contribute to the newsletter, including drafting and compiling content
• Support other policy and advocacy projects as they arise.

Qualifications

• All applicants must be currently enrolled in, or have previously attended, a U.S. based college or university
• Interest in public policy, advocacy, and/or youth engagement
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented with solid organizational and note-taking abilities
• Able to manage multiple tasks and follow through independently
• Comfortable working with diverse stakeholders, including young people

Eligibility Requirements: 

• All applicants must be currently enrolled in, or have previously attended, a U.S. based college or university
• All applicants must be able to complete a work authorization (I-9) during onboarding 
• All applicants must be able to complete the entirety of the internship program during the listed dates in the job description 

Application Process
The application cycle for the Fall 2026 Internship Program will be open from Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 through Wednesday, July 8th, 2026. When completing the application, please thoughtfully answer each application question in complete and authentic sentences as we thoroughly review every applicant.

Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by late July-early August 2026 regarding scheduling next steps. We value the time that applicants put into completing their applications, but due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide responses to phone calls or emails regarding application status.