Danielle Smaha

Director, Marketing and Communications

Solving today’s complex global issues in a way that balances economic, social, and environmental concerns requires bringing together diverse groups of people. In particular, today’s college students and young professionals need to be actively engaged; that’s where Manomet’s U360 Business Sustainability Internship comes in.

Today, there are countless opportunities for college students who want to complete an internship or experience real-world learning outside of the classroom. What distinguishes U360 from other options is its innovative approach of connecting students with small business owners for direct, real-world learning. “U360 has been primarily a virtual program since it started, so COVID-19 had little impact on last year’s interns completing the school year,” says Lora Babb, U360 program manager. “While it wasn’t quite what we intended when designing U360, it’s encouraging to know that we have prepared our students for careers where remote work may become the norm. Not to mention that we can offer students an educational and professional development opportunity that won’t be disrupted by the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus.”

The school year is just kicking off for our new class of U360 interns. This year, 36 sophomores, juniors, seniors, and grad students will participate in the program from 21 colleges, including 13 schools new to the program. For the first time, the U360 program will be expanding outside of New England with partner schools in New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina. To give as many students as possible this virtual opportunity to learn about sustainability and prepare for their future careers, we are enrolling far more students than in the past; this class of 36 students is twice as large as any past year.