Your teen wants to do something meaningful this summer. You want it to actually matter - for their growth, their college applications, and their future. You have narrowed it down to two options: a startup internship or an entrepreneurship program.
Good news: both are excellent choices. The question is not "which is better?" It is "which is better for your teen?"
At Nova School, we run both - the LEAD Internship and the AI Entrepreneurship Program. They share the same foundation but lead to very different day-to-day experiences. This guide will help you and your teen figure out which one fits.
What Each Path Actually Looks Like
The LEAD Internship: Working Inside a Real Startup
The LEAD Internship is a six-week program where students work on real projects for real companies. They are not fetching coffee or sitting in on meetings - they are assigned meaningful deliverables that the company actually needs.
Here is how the six weeks are structured:
- Week 1: Onboard. Students meet their employer and squad (teams of 2-4), understand their project scope, and go through intensive LEAD skills training - covering professional communication, AI tools, project management, and how startups operate. By the time they start working with their company, they have real skills to contribute.
- Weeks 2-5: Perform. This is the core of the internship. Students execute their projects with their squad - working on deliverables like market research, go-to-market strategy, AI tools, data analysis, or product development. They receive weekly mentorship from both their company supervisor and Nova School staff, with continuous feedback loops and skill-building sessions running alongside the work.
- Week 6: Showcase. Students present their work TEDx-style at The LEAD Summit to company leadership, professionals, and peers. This is not a classroom presentation - it is a high-stakes professional showcase where real decision-makers evaluate their work.
Students walk away with a portfolio of real project work, professional references from their startup mentors, and the experience of operating inside a real business.
AI Entrepreneurship: Building Your Own Product
The AI Entrepreneurship Program is a four-week program where students build their own product from scratch using AI-powered vibe-coding tools like Claude, Codex, and Cursor. No prior coding experience is needed.
Here is how the four weeks are structured:
- Week 1: Ideate. Learn how to spot real problems, talk to potential users, and validate whether your idea is worth building. By the end of the week, you will have a direction and a team.
- Week 2: Build. This is where AI changes everything. Use AI vibe-coding tools to go from idea to working product - faster than you thought possible. No coding experience needed.
- Week 3: Validate. Launch your product. Get feedback from real users. Add features that matter. Cut the ones that do not. Learn to prioritize like a startup founder.
- Week 4: Monetize. Craft your story, business model, and monetization strategy. Build your pitch deck and present at Demo Day to entrepreneurs, parents, and peers.
Students leave with a live product, a recording of their Demo Day pitch, real AI skills, and the experience of working on a startup team from idea to launch. Some students have continued developing their products after the program ends.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Here is a quick breakdown of how the two programs compare:
| Aspect | LEAD Internship | AI Entrepreneurship |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 6 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Format | Work on a real startup's projects | Build your own product from scratch |
| Team structure | Squads of 2-4 assigned to a company | Teams of 2-4 building together |
| What you build | Deliverables for a real business | Your own app or digital product |
| Best for | Students who want professional experience | Students who want to create something new |
| Culminating event | LEAD Summit presentation to company professionals, parents and peers | Demo Day with entrepreneurs, parents and peers |
Who Thrives in Each Program
The Internship Is Built for Students Who...
- Want to see how businesses actually work. They are curious about what happens inside a startup - how decisions get made, how teams collaborate, how products go to market.
- Prefer working on a team. They do their best work when they are bouncing ideas off others and contributing to a shared goal.
- Want structure and clear expectations. They appreciate knowing what is expected of them each week and building toward a defined outcome.
- Are thinking about careers in business, technology, consulting, marketing, or operations. The internship gives them a direct taste of these fields.
- Want a professional reference. Working directly with a company means earning a reference from a real CEO - not a teacher or program coordinator.
The Entrepreneurship Program Is Built for Students Who...
- Want to learn how to build something from scratch. They are curious about how entrepreneurs come up with ideas, spot real problems, and turn them into products.
- Are excited about AI and technology. They want to understand how AI tools work and use them to build real things - not just talk about them in class.
- Prefer autonomy over structure. They want to decide what they are working on and how they approach it. They are comfortable with ambiguity.
- Are creative and self-driven. They do not need someone to assign them a task. Give them space and they will fill it.
- Want to stand out on college applications. Building a working product and presenting it at Demo Day is a concrete, demonstrable accomplishment that admissions officers notice.
What Both Programs Share
Regardless of which path your teen chooses, they will develop the same foundational skill set. Both programs are built on Nova School's LEAD framework:
- Leadership - Leading projects, making decisions under uncertainty, communicating with confidence.
- Entrepreneurship - Understanding how to create value, identify opportunities, think like a founder, and build core business skills.
- AI - Using artificial intelligence tools effectively and understanding their role in the modern economy.
- Design Thinking & Digital Skills - Approaching problems with human-centered thinking, prototyping solutions, and building social media and storytelling skills to communicate your work effectively.
Both programs also include:
- Dedicated mentorship from experienced professionals
- A certificate of completion from Nova School
- Real portfolio pieces to showcase on college applications and LinkedIn
- Need-based scholarships for students who qualify
The college application value of either program is significant. Admissions officers are looking for students who have done something real - not just accumulated extracurriculars. Both the internship and the entrepreneurship program provide that.
Can You Do Both?
Yes. The dates are designed to make this possible.
The two programs run at different times during the summer with a brief overlap in the middle. Students have successfully completed both programs by managing their time during that window.
Doing both gives your teen the best of both worlds: the professional experience of working inside a real company and the creative experience of building their own product. It is a strong combination, especially for students who are serious about standing out.
If your teen is considering both, reach out to us and we will help you plan the schedule.
A Simple Decision Framework
Still not sure? Walk through these questions with your teen:
1. Would you rather work on someone else's problem or your own?
If your teen lights up when talking about a specific idea they have - an app, a tool, a business concept - the entrepreneurship program is the better fit. If they are more excited about getting inside a real company and contributing to something already in motion, the internship is the way to go.
2. Do you prefer structure or autonomy?
The internship provides clear expectations, weekly rhythms, and defined deliverables. The entrepreneurship program gives students more freedom to set their own direction. Neither is better - it depends on how your teen works best.
3. Do you want to work inside a company or build your own thing?
If your teen wants to experience the day-to-day of a real startup - strategy, teamwork, and how businesses operate - the internship is the right fit. If they would rather create something from scratch and learn the full process of turning an idea into a product, the entrepreneurship program is where they belong.
4. What do you want to walk away with?
A professional reference and experience working at a real company? Internship. A product you built yourself and a pitch you delivered on stage? Entrepreneurship. Both are powerful - it comes down to what resonates.
Take the Next Step
Both programs fill up. Visit the summer programs page for current dates and pricing, or start your application.
Explore each program in detail:
- LEAD Internship Program - Work at a real startup. Present at The LEAD Summit.
- AI Entrepreneurship Program - Build your own product with AI. Present on Demo Day.
- View All Summer Programs
Ready to apply? Start your application here.
Is prior experience required for either program?
No. Both programs are designed for high school students with no prior professional or technical experience. The internship provides onboarding and mentorship to prepare students for their role. The entrepreneurship program teaches AI vibe-coding tools from the ground up - students do not need to know how to code.
How do these programs help with college applications?
Admissions officers value demonstrated initiative and real-world experience over a long list of passive activities. The internship gives your teen a professional reference from a startup CEO and a tangible deliverable they contributed to a real business. The entrepreneurship program gives them a working product they built themselves and a Demo Day presentation. Both are concrete accomplishments that stand out in essays, interviews, and activity lists.
What if my teen is not sure which program to choose?
Start with the decision framework above. If that does not settle it, book an info session with our team. We will talk through your teen's interests, goals, and personality to help you find the right fit. And remember - students can do both programs if they want the full experience.
Are scholarships available?
Yes. Nova School offers need-based scholarships for both programs, including partial and full awards. Scholarship information is included in the application. We believe financial circumstances should not prevent any motivated student from participating.