STUDENT INTERNSHIPS

Real Experience. Meaningful Impact. Purpose-Driven Leadership.

The Cherry Willow Social Enterprise Accelerator gives college students the opportunity to apply their skills to a real community challenge while working alongside a nonprofit partner.

Rather than a traditional internship or hypothetical class project, students work as part of an interdisciplinary team to develop and execute a collaborative apparel and awareness campaign that creates measurable community impact.

Students receive mentorship, take ownership of real projects, and build portfolio-ready experience while developing the leadership skills needed to pursue purpose-driven careers.

HOW IT WORKS

What Students Do

Students work across five areas of the Accelerator, collaborating throughout the semester toward one shared community-impact project:

Business Development & Partnerships
Develop partnerships, support outreach, identify fundraising opportunities, manage relationships, and contribute to business strategy.

Communications & Marketing
Develop campaigns, social media, public relations, email communications, analytics, and campus/community awareness.

Community Impact
Work directly with the nonprofit partner, support community engagement, develop impact initiatives, and help measure outcomes.

Creative Design
Develop apparel concepts, graphics, campaign assets, and creative materials while maintaining brand consistency.

Film & Storytelling
Capture photography and video, conduct interviews, create short-form content, and tell the story of the project's impact.

A 12-Week Leadership Experience

Students move through a structured 12-week experience that includes onboarding and discovery, research and strategy, project development, campaign execution, community activation, and impact measurement.

The experience concludes with an executive presentation, reflection, and portfolio review.

What Students Gain

Students leave the experience with:
Real-world experience working with a nonprofit/community partnerLeadership and problem-solving experienceMentorship from Cherry Willow advisors and professionalsCross-disciplinary collaboration experiencePortfolio-ready workExperience developing and executing a real community-impact projectExposure to social enterprise and purpose-driven careers

What Students Produce

The student team works toward a complete nonprofit collaboration that can include a co-designed apparel collection and awareness campaign, research and strategy, partnership and outreach work, marketing and creative assets, storytelling, and a documented impact report.

Who It's For

The Accelerator is designed for college students who want to use their skills to create meaningful community impact while gaining hands-on professional experience.

Students from business, communications, marketing, creative, design, film, nonprofit, social impact, and related disciplines can contribute their unique skills to the team.

Building Leaders Through Purpose

We are not building another internship. We are building leaders who know how to collaborate, serve, create, and measure impact.

Interested in Getting Involved?

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