DataNB
The latest from the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training

In the 2010 film Inception, audiences were introduced to the concept of a dream within a dream. In 2021, NB-IRDT’s Pathways to Professions (P2P) program introduced something similar: the concept of experiential learning evaluation within an experiential learning program. The result was ExperienceNB: one of five P2P research streams in 2021.

Experiential learning – a theory of education combining work experience, reflection, and analysis – is a key component of UNB’s Toward 2030 strategic plan. It is also at the centre of NB-IRDT’s student training initiatives, including P2P.

P2P is a 13-week paid experiential learning program developed by NB-IRDT to provide NB students with hands-on research and professionalism training opportunities that help them achieve their full potential and become involved in research that matters to New Brunswickers. This past summer, the ExperienceNB team worked under the direction of UNB’s Director of Experiential Education, Dr. Sarah King. Together, they completed a research project evaluating experiential learning at UNB – specifically the community engagement component.

Read the full report and infographic to learn more about the students’ research and findings and to see their official recommendations to advance experiential learning at UNB.

The ExperienceNB Student Team

Hala Nasir

Hala is a third-year University of New Brunswick student working towards her Bachelor of Science with an Honours in Biology. She moved to Fredericton in 2018 from Ottawa, Ontario and is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field to make beneficial contributions to the health care system in her community.

Eilish Keaveney

Eilish is in her final year at the University of New Brunswick, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with an Honours in Human Resources Management. Eilish has a variety of interests in the human resources field, including recruitment, training, and diversity, equity and inclusion research.

Kyla Scott-MacBeth

Kyla graduated from the University of New Brunswick, Saint John in May 2021, obtaining a Bachelor of Science with an Honours in Psychology. Kyla is passionate about working in the social services sector and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations through research and community development.

Kelsey Shaw

Kelsey is a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership at the University of New Brunswick’s Renaissance College, with minors in Political Science and Economics. Kelsey is passionate about thinking critically to address local and global issues. In the future, she wishes to pursue a career in the public sector as a policy analyst or in the private sector working for a social enterprise or not-for-profit.

What is Pathways to Professions (P2P)?

Each summer, NB-IRDT hosts student research teams as part of its Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program. For 13 weeks, these students work on projects relevant to New Brunswick while attending a full curriculum of professional skills workshops.