The University of New Brunswick (UNB) integrates hands-on experiential learning into its curriculum to boost student engagement and equip them with practical career skills.
From 2021 to 2023, UNB received over $2.7 million in funding from the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada's (CEWIL Canada) iHUB program, managed by the UNB office of experiential education.
The CEWIL Canada iHUB is a centre of expertise providing grant-based funding to enable and promote curricular work-integrated learning (WIL) focusing primarily on community and industry research and projects, entrepreneurial WIL, field placements and community service-learning WIL.
For the 2024 fall and summer terms, CEWIL Canada awarded UNB the maximum of $1 million one of only four universities nationwide to receive this level of support and the largest allocation to any university in eastern Canada.
"The office of experiential education provides support to the faculties throughout the application process and administers all the financial management and reporting for CEWIL iHUB projects," said Elizabeth Hebert, director of the office of experiential learning.
"We anticipate new rounds of CEWIL Canada funding for summer and fall 2025, with announcements to follow once details are confirmed."
CEWIL has three funding streams: innovation for new projects, enhancement for existing projects and bursary-only.
While all three streams contain student bursaries which provide direct financial support to students to help remove barriers to their participation in experiential learning, the innovation and enhancement streams can also provide financial support for additional expenses to support the curricular projects.
Since 2021, 53 individual projects have been funded.
"To qualify for funding, projects must involve student collaboration with eligible community partners. Nursing programs benefiting from CEWIL Canada funding frequently collaborate with local non-profits and regional health networks. Shout out to our community partners because experiential learning would not be possible without them," Hebert said.
All 14 of UNB's faculties offer experiential learning. Students commit to hands-on activities, experiments and real-world problem-solving that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Experiential learning often requires group work, fostering collaboration and communication skills. The experience builds confidence and motivation, allowing students to develop empathy and social skills through interaction with diverse groups.
Two examples of experiential learning are the Forestry and Environmental Management Field Camp and the Forestry and Environmental Management Practicum Course offered by the faculty of forestry & environmental management.
The field camp is a six-day course, with exercises and site visits which engaged 65 students this fall. CEWIL funding supported bursaries, accommodations and other expenses. The management practicum is a year-long, hands-on course with 63 students this year focusing on landscape management plans with external partners and clients. CEWIL funding provided bursaries, enabling students to participate.
"Field camp was one of the greatest experiences throughout my degree," said Charlotte Toner, a fourth-year forestry student.
"It allowed me to get to know students and professors from all over the faculty. I enjoyed being immersed in learning for a week. The CEWIL funding lessened my financial burden and reduced monetary-related stress in my life.
"The management practicum has been a welcomed challenge. It has sharpened my team-building and leadership skills significantly."
The UNB Legal Clinic used CEWIL Canada funding to conduct mobile clinics in Miramichi and Saint John, offering services to marginalized individuals. The grant supported the summer Law 5215 course, which provides six credits but no financial aid, allowing students to participate.
"This was an incredible realization because it reminded me why I am in school: so that one day, I can do this kind of work. It was a privilege to have hands-on experience at this point in my education and rediscover my passion," said law student Geneva Reid.
The Arts Internship Program at the faculty of arts on the Fredericton campus, also supported by some CEWIL Canada funding, enables students to gain work experience while earning academic credit. Students work seven to 15 hours weekly with community partners and complete relevant academic assignments.
"The funding makes the program more accessible, allowing students to balance work and study while they participate in meaningful work opportunities connected to their academic programs and career paths," said Tabatha Armstrong, the Arts Internship Program coordinator.
"Many of our students are working while studying to cope with the rising cost of living along with other financial pressures. For some students, the option to complete an internship experience like this might not have been possible if it meant they had to choose between their paid work and their academic experience," she said.
"Now, with bursaries made possible in part by CEWIL, we have more students choosing to enroll in the program, knowing there is financial support available."
UNB's faculty of business and Horizon Health Network collaborated on the Horizon Health Emergent Futures Initiative to address employee engagement and retention. With CEWIL Canada funding, 120 students worked on creating a cultural framework and data visualizations aimed at improving workplace culture.
"This real-world project has a great impact on our studies as it provides the chance to apply our knowledge meaningfully. This kind of research is important for discovering which everyday factors make a workforce effective," said Michael Buckley, a third-year business student.
Michael Forson, a fourth-year arts student, said working on a real-world project as part of his business studies was "exciting and nerve-racking at the same time."
"You have the rare opportunity to apply everything you have learned into real practice and possibly help make a change in the organization. This type of research and analysis is important because it helps the organization solve some underlying issues within employees."
Another CEWIL Canada funded project at the faculty of business was the Port Saint John Employers Association Emergent Futures Ambition 2035. Forty UNB students worked with the Port Saint John Employers Association and Canada's Ocean Supercluster to explore sustainable oceanic economic growth. The students created entrepreneurial concepts, mapped systems and analyzed stakeholder dynamics.
CEWIL Canada's financial support for each student helped alleviate financial burdens while networking opportunities and regular feedback enriched the learning experience.
UNB's CEWIL Canada funding highlights the university's commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Over 80 per cent of the funding went to bursary projects aimed at underrepresented students, covering expenses like travel or childcare.
"UNB has had a successful partnership with CEWIL over the years, which has been positive for our students' experiential learning," Hebert said.
"We hope to continue this valuable collaboration in the future."
