Experiential Education
ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | Fall 2021
Experiential learning helps students connect their academic learning to their personal and professional goals through authentic experiences. Opportunities such as co-op and clinical placements aren’t new to UNB, but diverse experiential learning opportunities have now spread to all faculties. This lets students connect with their community, gain confidence, increase their real-world problem-solving skills and make meaningful change.
Community-engaged learning helps students connect what they’re learning in the classroom to what’s happening in their communities and gives them skills to think about solutions to environmental, economic and social challenges.
A key partner in UNB’s community-engaged learning programs is Hayes Farm, a teaching farm in Fredericton that’s helping create a resilient and thriving food system by providing citizens with the skills, expertise and support needed to practice human-scale regenerative agriculture. The farm offers an 18-week Regenerative Farming Certificate (RFC) summer internship program where students balance time between in-class lectures and on-farm work, learning about seasonal food production. Matthew Golding (BSENR’20), a graduate of UNB’s bachelor of science in environment & natural resources program, took part in the RFC program.
“It was a super opportunity to take what I learned in the classroom and test it in the field,” they say. “I learned a lot from the instructors, but just as much from the other participants."
It turned out that it was also a great networking opportunity as well – Matthew is now working full-time for Hayes Farm as a mentor and part of the operations and planning team. “Experiential learning really helped me find my space in a niche field,” they say.
UNB’s experiential learning opportunities help reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Student placements and projects align with these goals, helping to create a safer, more equitable world. Partners like Brilliant Labs create opportunities for students to use technology to address community needs.
Partners like Fredericton’s Planet Hatch provide opportunities for students to connect with local businesses, tackle pressing challenges, and gain valuable experience toward their personal and professional goals.
In Summer 2021, students worked with The Ville Co-operative, helping to strengthen their community gardening program and contributing to greater food security in the community.
Through experiential learning opportunities, students make a meaningful impact in the community through authentic experiences that help them bridge classroom and community learning.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
UNB student using her preceptorship as an opportunity to transition into the workplace.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
An experiential learning pilot project is helping to solve transportation issues in rural New Brunswick.
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION
Nicole Andrade has just begun her career, but she’s already doing exciting and meaningful work.
