Careers

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

U360 is an innovative experiential education and professional development program for college students, focused on environmental and business sustainability. The two-semester curriculum incorporates applied science, business, and sustainability workshops, career skills training, sustainability assessments of small businesses, and a Capstone project. U360 is offered by the nonprofit organization, Manomet, as part of its efforts to prepare the next generation of changemakers to tackle the climate crisis and other complex issues we face.

U360 students build their knowledge of the “triple-bottom line” of business sustainability (environmental, social, and governance), environmental and conservation issues, and business management through workshops and direct interactions with small business owners. U360 offers real-world experience in three vital areas that are critical to effective change-making and career preparation: applied knowledge of practical sustainability, how to engage people with different viewpoints, and professional skills (particularly soft skills, which are highly prioritized by employers). U360 students benefit from intensive training and mentoring as they develop their professionalism, personal confidence, and communication, collaboration, creative problem- solving, and strategic-thinking skills. Then, they put all of that into practice when they independently interview up to 20 small business owners about their day-to-day operations, which includes administering Manomet’s Root360 assessment survey of their triple-bottom line. At the end of the program, U360 students complete a culminating project: each student selects one of the businesses they interviewed, creates a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) for that company, and presents their SAP to judges from the business and sustainability fields in a Capstone competition.

U360 empowers college students to take action on the environmental, social, and economic challenges that will disproportionately impact their generation, and gives them skills and knowledge they can bring to any job or industry. U360 alumni stand out from their peers when entering the workforce due to their exceptional communication skills, personal confidence, relationship-building and networking ability, and comprehensive understanding of business operations. U360 is more than a class or an internship: it’s a unique community of passionate changemakers that supports students during their time in U360, and for years beyond through engagement with our active alumni network.

Manomet believes that addressing today’s environmental, social, and economic challenges requires bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The organization is committed to working with people who are underrepresented in the field of sustainability and to enrolling U360 classes that have geographic, academic, racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and age diversity. Participating interns have the unique opportunity to meet and work closely with students from other colleges throughout the United States; becoming part of a network of peers who also want to make a difference in the world. (Additionally, U360 students will also have an exclusive opportunity to apply during the fall for a paid summer internship with Manomet’s Fisheries Team to support their work building resilient and productive coastal ecosystems and communities in the Gulf of Maine. Detailed information about this immersive experience in intertidal and coastal fieldwork, data management, and community engagement will be made available to any U360 students interested in applying.)

More information about the U360 Business Sustainability Internship Program can be found here.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Details:

• U360 is designed for students enrolled in business, economics, science, environmental, sustainability and/or liberal arts programs, but all majors are welcome to apply.
• This is a team program, and each year, up to 40 students are enrolled from different colleges and divided into teams of no more than eight.
• To increase access to this program, U360 is (and always has been) an entirely remote program with a high level of mentorship, support, and engagement between the students and the U360 staff and team of alumni assistants. Students participate from their own campuses and travel is not required.
• The program is an average of 10 hours/week, which includes scheduled trainings, workshops, and weekly team meetings, along with independent research, outreach, and interviews with business owners. Students work remotely and create their own schedule for their independent work. (The workshops and team meetings will be scheduled once the teams are formed, to accommodate every student’s availability.)
• Students are required to attend all trainings, workshops, and weekly team meetings via live video conference.
• U360 is an entirely student-centered program that is both a comprehensive educational experience (more like a class) and an unpaid internship; the curriculum is focused on helping students develop the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) competencies that employers are seeking. Students can often earn college credit for participation (depending on each school’s policies, major requirements, etc.), while also including it on their resume as internship experience.
• The time commitment and workload are equivalent to a college course, so ideally U360 takes the place of a class in the student’s schedule and is not being done on top of a full course load.

When & Where:

• U360 is a two-semester (or three-trimester, if applicable) program and students are required to participate for the entire school year, excluding all university holidays and breaks.
• U360 is an entirely remote program and students participate from their own campuses.
• U360 operates on Eastern Time, so for the entire year students must either be located in that time zone or somewhere with no more than a three-hour time difference from the eastern time zone.

Requirements:

• Must be an undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior during the U360 school year
• Interest in business and/or sustainability
• Basic computer skills (specifically Microsoft Office and Google programs)
• Confidence with conversational English (written and verbal) due to the high volume of correspondence students have with many different professionals

Preferred skills and experience:

• Self-motivated with comfort working independently and excellent time management
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to listen and communicate effectively (verbally and in writing)
• A willingness to contact and interact with professionals in person, over the phone and video, and via email
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail

Instructions for applying:

The deadline to apply for the 2023-2024 school year is 11:59pm (Eastern Time) on June 15th.

Combine a cover letter, your current resume, and three references into one PDF file, and email that file to Lora Babb, U360 Director, at U360@manomet.org with the subject line “U360 Internship Application.” (Please include each reference’s name, relationship to you, email address, and phone number. NOTE: at least one reference must be a professional reference and no direct relatives can be listed as a reference.)

You must also complete this online application questionnaire.

Want to learn more about U360? Join an upcoming info session hosted by U360 program director Lora Babb and hear from past participants about what U360 did for them.