On August 11th, Four Athens’ Startup Internship Program received preliminary approval to be included in the Experiential Learning transcript at the University of Georgia. The program, which consists of interdisciplinary teams applying startup methodologies to traditional business challenges, is seeking students for their second cohort starting August 29th.

“Getting a framework in place that accommodates the learning objectives for UGA students and provides a benefit to local companies has been a fun and challenging process”, says Jordan Burke, Executive Director of Four Athens. “The Experiential Learning Office at UGA, namely Linda Bachman and Karen Saunders, has been a great ally in working through the iterative process and building a valuable program for UGA students and Athens at large.”

SIP runs from August 29th until late November, culminating in a demo day presentation to UGA representatives and project stakeholders on November 28th. The projects and presentations provide students with opportunities to explore how to apply startup methodologies to real world business situations, but to also get credit for experiential learning now required for graduation. “The recent emphasis placed on experiential learning is not just a trend - the experience is extremely valuable, especially in learning how to work with a team in a workplace environment”, says Burke.

Applications for students will close August 25th, and phone screenings begin early next week. More information can be found at https://members.fourathens.com/startup-internship-program.