Online universities have earned a reputation among traditional higher education institutions as businesses that offer low-quality degrees in exchange for hefty debt. But online University of the People challenges the stereotype.

“I think it’s important to support collaboration between the formal and informal education space,” says Jeannette Weisschuh, HP’s director of education initiative. “We believe educators from the formal space can learn from the informal space. … I wouldn’t say it’s a revolution, but its an evolution of the existing education space.”

The consortium will select qualified interns who apply through University of the People to work virtually with its partners on projects that could include setting up webinars and developing some software elements.

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