In this article on Mashable, seven students participated in a summer fellowship at Lightspeed Venture Partners, which behaves like a startup accelerator. The venture program allowed them to explore life as an entrepreneur for 10 weeks. This program is a great departure from an internship because the fellows have complete control over how they spend their time. Yet, the fellows still build critical business skills, just as they would in an internship, because they gain experience managing a company and its employees.

Most of the fellows felt that the experience was so rewarding because it required so much hands on work. They directly designed their projects and evaluated peoples’ use and thought of them. Also, many of the fellows were so passionate about their ventures that they planned to carry on their projects after they returned to their college lives.

So, if you are considering an alternative path this summer, just keep in mind you may build just as important skills as you would with an internship. And, if you need funding for transportation, lodging, etc for a socially-oriented experience (internship or alternative) remember to apply for an Engaged Learning Award by May 3rd!