LEONARDTOWN, Md. — On June 23, 2025, the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) announced that it would begin accepting applications for its Public Health Junior Fellowship Program, following a successful pilot program from March through June 2025.
The fellowship will last for the duration of the 2025–26 academic year and offers high school and college students the opportunity to serve on the Youth Advisory Committee for the St. Mary’s County Health Department. Students will also work alongside public health professionals to explore community health concerns.
According to a public statement by SMCHD, fellows will “learn about community health issues while building their leadership skills during the academic year,” and will “promote health and wellness at their home schools, and gather input from their peers about community health challenges.”
In a follow-up statement, SMCHD noted that fellows serve as an important bridge between the health department and local youth, allowing the department to better reach youth with public health programs and to better understand what priority health areas are for them in real time.
In the previous cycle, fellows launched health clubs at their schools, conducted surveys among their peers concerning topics of interest in health, and attended school events to promote SMCHD programs as well as their own club or survey programs.
The fellowship requires a commitment of at least three hours a month and is unpaid, although fellows will be given agency-branded promotional items to use when interacting with fellow students.
“The Public Health Junior Fellowship is a fantastic way for local high school and college students to explore a career in public health while developing their leadership skills,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County health officer. “Our fellows will be in the thick of public health work — learning about local health issues, organizing their peers into action, and shaping the future of community health for our county.”
The application can be found here. Additional questions can be directed to SMCHD at smchd.pr@maryland.gov.
The deadline to submit an application is Thursday, July 18, 2025.
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