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Nuts & Bolts:
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9 month program (September 2025 to May 2026)
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Part-time (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am - 12:30pm)
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Students can earn up to 15 transferable college credits.
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Intimate cohort size of 30 students.
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Workshop U operates out of West Chester University Center City campus (701 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106) ​
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Cost:
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Workshop U is completely free. All students who are accepted receive full scholarships.
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Program Overview
At Workshop U, you'll learn a process of LIFE DESIGN.
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You figure out what you want out of your future, and take concrete steps to get there.
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Program Description
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
You'll end the year with an actionable plan for your next year and a process that you can use over and over again across a lifetime whenever you feel stuck.
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Develop a
vision
Create
OPPORTUNITY
Take
Action
Stage 1
DEvelop a vision
"Traditionally school isn't a place for
you to develop yourself, for yourself.
So the design process is important because you are going through deep introspection to be able to figure out where your life is. And then I'm taking steps that move me in a direction of something that I know I want to build."
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- Ola (WU Student)
You're in the drivers seat of what success looks like in your life. In this stage, you'll build up your sense of self, understand your values and priorities, and hone a vision for your future. ​This vision will be anchored in evidence by meeting and interviewing people in the real world.
By the end, you'll have outlined three potential paths you could take next year, and decide which one to pursue.
Stage 2
Create Opportunity
To know what you want to do, you have to try stuff in a real-world, real-stakes context. In this stage, you'll work part-time for 10-weeks in your internship. Interns will be paid $15/hr.
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By the end, you'll have expanded your network, gained real-world work experience, and be able to update your Next Step Plan with your learnings.​
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"Having a portfolio of shows
[future employers] an example
of the work I did. ​
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That can push expectations higher because actions speak louder than words. [Employers will say] 'he knows what he's doing, this is proof of that... we're gonna pick him up."
Stage 3
Prototype your work
Opportunities don't just find you; you have to create them. In this stage, we'll teach you how to find opportunities that move the needle forward on your goals - from the research process to outreach emailing to interviewing. We'll also focus on how to learn and thrive in an internship.
By the end, you'll have networked your way into an internship that will help you test if your chosen path is the right direction.
Step 1
Map your
Opportunities
Step 3
Create an Internship
learning plan
Step 2
Network, network, network!
Saying 'yes' to your
Internship
offer
When all is said and done, you'll
Create your portfolio
Examples of our Internship Partners
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- DeaQuan (WU Student)
By graduation, you'll walk away with a portfolio containing...
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An actionable plan for what you'll do next year
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Documentation of your Life Design Process to use in the future
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Projects from WU that demonstrate your skillset
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Artifacts from your internship work​
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A robust LinkedIn profile
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Resume
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References​​​​​​
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Network of supporters
Step 1
Thrive in your internship
Present your
Next-Step
plan
(Version 2.0)
Step 1
know why You Are here
Step 2
Define Success
Step 3
chart a direction
Step 4
Refine your options
Step 5
draft your team
Present your
Next-Step
plan
(Version 1.0)
Step 6
GATHER DATA
Community @ Workshop u
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Navigating life after high school is difficult without a community.
Your WU cohort will ​motivate, energize, advise, challenge and cheer you on to reach your goals. And you’ll be invited to do the same for them.
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- Deona (WU Student)
“I didn’t have people around me
to motivate me.
But here I feel like there is an understanding of the things that we're all going through. And there are people that have these resources out for us to get out of a rut.
So it gave me hope.” ​​​
