Watson Institute offers its Fall 2021 Semester Accelerator program for college students, recent graduates, and gap year students who have an early-stage venture/project and a passion for impact. This four-month program is offered for next-generation leaders, young entrepreneurs to tackle complex problems and accelerate their venture.

About the institute

The Watson Institute is a unique education model for next-generation innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs who will unleash an impact through entrepreneurship. Watson believes that to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, we must equip the next generation with the necessary tools, network, attitude, and courage to create a lifetime change.

Deadline: June 1, 2021 (for the 2021 fall cohort)

Location:

• in person, Colorado, USA
• Online

Partnering institutions: Watson Institute and One Young World

Duration: 4 months

Start date: August 23, 2021

End of program: December 10, 2021

Timing of program: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Mountain time.

Time Commitment per week: 42 hours per week

Program content:

• Class
• Workshops
• master Courses
• Outside of class work on the venture and projects

About the program

Watson Semester Accelerator is a joint program designed to empower next-generation, impact-oriented entrepreneurs and innovators to launch ventures and undertake socially transformative programs. The program is for college students, recent graduates, and gap-year students with a social project/venture, whether at an idea or early stages, and those who have an interest in social impact.

During the 4-month program, a cohort of young social innovators convenes in Boulder, Colorado, to deal with the toughest issues facing the world. From climate change to income inequality and from political suppression to access to water.

What you will receive

Students enrolled in the Watson Accelerator become engaged in training, mentorship, and community to affect a lifetime of impact.

• Training: Courses and workshops concentrated on entrepreneurship, leadership, and hard skills that put theory to practice.
  • courses include hard and soft skills, methodologies, and frameworks needed for the venture growth offered by and led by Watson institutes preceptors who are accomplished leaders, entrepreneurs, and facilitators.
    • Transformative entrepreneurship course includes business model validation, funder readiness and team building
    • Transformative Action: Softskills includes courage, resilience, grit, leadership, creativity, transformative communication
    • Watson lab: How to apply hard skills required for better understanding of the market, practice pitching, communication with investors and partners.
      Master Courses: Fireside chat to an interactive workshop.
• Mentorship: Mentors guide every student in their field to challenge their assumptions, boost their perspective, and expand their impact.
• Community-wide opportunity: Students join a diverse cohort with members from every corner of the world, a difference of experiences, and a common goal to impact the world.

Eligibility

The Watson Accelerator is looking for:

• Impact-driven entrepreneur
• Young innovators using entrepreneurship as a tool for social impact
• Has or is developing a service or product
• Geared up for a fast-paced startup environment

Selection Criteria

The Institute highly prefers young people who are encouraged to work towards a better, more sustainable, and more equitable future than the present.

It selects the participants according to these criteria:

• Be determined
• Creative/innovator
• Socially interested in change, and
• Driven to not only listen and learn but also act.

It is on a quest to find innovators, change-makers, and entrepreneurs like you.

How to apply?

The application process for this program is completed online through the below link.

Apply now

For more information, please visit the  Watson Institute’s Website.