We review every application and follow up with a 15–20 minute chat if there's a fit.

Growth & Innovation Application

Hi there! Before moving on, please note this role is only applicable towards high school and college students.

We're Grassroot Academy, an AI learning platform that helps students actually understand stuff (not just cheat on homework). We're early-stage, scrappy, and need help from people who get what students want.

This isn't filing papers or getting coffee. You'll own real projects that affect real users. By the time you finish after week 12, you'll have portfolio pieces that make internship recruiters say, "Wait…you did what as an intern?"

The upside: You get way more ownership, faster learning, and cooler projects than you would fetching coffee in a cubicle at some corporate place that pays $15/hour.

Plus, you'll receive mentorship and guidance on applying to university or undertaking a career from a team that has advised hundreds of students on their academic and professional journeys.

Social Media & Marketing

  • Own our TikTok and Instagram strategy end-to-end (content calendar, posting, engagement)
  • Create 3–4 pieces of content per week (videos, carousels, memes) that drive signups
  • Collaborate with founders on viral campaigns and product launches
  • Develop and execute marketing campaigns across channels — email sequences, partnerships, school outreach
  • Create high-converting marketing assets including landing page copy, one-pagers, demo decks, and promotional materials for school and organizational partnerships
  • Synthesize platform analytics and campaign performance data into weekly briefs for the founding team, with actionable recommendations on marketing direction
e.g. Northwestern, 2027
(1) Why you want to do this, and (2) one thing you've done that you're proud of — project, club, side hustle, creative work, helping a friend, anything meaningful. Treat it like a piece of growth content; how you put the video together is part of the answer. Make something we'd want to watch.
You're running a festival at a zoo where all the animals can talk. The penguins think it's too hot, the peacocks only care about looking good, the sloths can't be bothered, and the owls think festivals are dumb. You cannot bribe anyone. How do you get them to show up?

Community & Platform Strategy Application

Hi there! Before moving on, please note this role is only applicable towards high school and college students.

We're Grassroot Academy, an AI learning platform that helps students actually understand stuff (not just cheat on homework). We're early-stage, scrappy, and need help from people who get what students want.

This isn't filing papers or getting coffee. You'll own real projects that affect real users. By the time you finish after week 12, you'll have portfolio pieces that make internship recruiters say, "Wait…you did what as an intern?"

The upside: You get way more ownership, faster learning, and cooler projects than you would fetching coffee in a cubicle at some corporate place that pays $15/hour.

Plus, you'll receive mentorship and guidance on applying to university or undertaking a career from a team that has advised hundreds of students on their academic and professional journeys.

Community & Platform Strategy

  • Be among the first to build and grow communities on Grassroot's platform, seeding real academic activity ahead of public launch
  • Publish study materials, notes, and practice content to establish a living content library created by real students
  • Recruit peers, classmates, and student organizations into early communities to generate authentic engagement and social proof
  • Share observations, pain points, and creative ideas with the founding team to help shape Grassroot's product and growth strategy
  • Contribute directly to platform development by identifying user needs, proposing feature improvements, and collaborating with the founding team to refine Grassroot's product roadmap
e.g. Northwestern, 2027
No essay needed — just tell us what makes this important to you. 4 sentences, max.
Software is ideal — but a club, business, event, or anything else you started from zero counts too. 3–5 sentences.

Design Lead Intern Application

Hi there! Before moving on, please note this role is only applicable towards high school and college students.

We're Grassroot Academy, an AI tutoring platform that helps students actually understand stuff (not just cheat on homework). We're early-stage, scrappy, and need help from people who get what students want. This role will not be compensated (we are bootstrapped).

Inject soul into the Grassroot Academy experience! As a Design Lead Intern, you will help make our AI-powered tutoring platform feel warm, alive, and incredibly fun.

The upside: You get way more ownership, faster learning, and cooler projects than you would fetching coffee in a cubicle at some corporate place that pays $15/hour.

In this role, you will take ownership of Grassroot's visual personality. You won't be bogged down with corporate busywork or total brand overhauls; instead, you will have the creative freedom to spearhead the design of charming SVG characters, custom avatars, and buttery-smooth animations that celebrate student success.

You'll work directly with the founders to define how our platform moves and feels, ensuring every interaction — from a correct answer to a completed module — feels rewarding, human, and full of life.

This role does not require prior experience in digital design, but artistic skills are REQUIRED.

e.g. Northwestern, 2027
No essay needed — just tell us what makes this important to you. 4 sentences, max.
You've been hired to rebrand a Rock. It has no face. It cannot speak. It cannot move on its own. It needs to be the most lovable character on the screen. Without adding arms or legs, describe the simple animation or accessory you give it to make us fall in love with it immediately.