On Thursday, March 21 Mount Allison’s Experiential Learning and Career Development Office hosted the Elevate Gala to celebrate experiential learning at Mount Allison, handing out Future NB Recognition Awards to students, faculty, and community partners and announcing an Elevate Bursary Draw. The event also marked a significant milestone for experiential learning at Mount Allison with the launch of a public catalogue and experiential student record.  

“Experiential learning at Mount Allison continues to be an important part of the educational experience for students, helping them connect their learning to the community, develop new professional skills, and to find their passions and purpose,” says Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert MacKinnon.

Over five years, 1,650 MtA students have participated in at least one experiential activity, recording 400,000 hours of experiential activity over 3,200 student experiences, including:

• Internships: 900+
• Experiential Courses
• Community Service Learning: 600+ student experiences
• Simulation/Case-Based Learning: 400+ student experiences
• Applied Research Projects: 350+ student experiences

The new public catalogue, available on Experience MtA shows all experiential learning opportunities on campus, including experiential courses, internships, design-your-own (DYO) internships, entrepreneurship, and the Elevate program. This platform allows the office to easily promote and track available experiential opportunities and to provide easy access for students to learn more and apply.

The experiential student record is an official university document that tracks and verifies a student’s involvement in experiential learning on campus, including experiential courses, leadership opportunities through clubs and societies, internships, and entrepreneurship. In the next phase of the project, participation in field schools, exchange, and residence leadership will be added. This record can be added to a resumé, as well as LinkedIn profiles, to highlight another area of education and training.  

“Both of these projects help to formalize the recognition of experiential learning as an important part of what Mount Allison offers in the university experience for students,” says Director of Experiential Learning and Career Development Rebecca Leaman. “It’s a visual representation of the community connections that students make here, the impact they have on the world around them, and the impact these experiences have on their education and their lives. It’s all about relationships.”

Future NB Recognition Awards were handed out to:

• Faculty: Christina Haldane, Assistant Professor, Music
• Community Partner: Open Sky Collective
• Students: Adil Alimzhanov, Jacob Farrell, Lucas Waye, Emma Paquet, Ari Roach, and Alora Simon

To learn more about the new public catalogue and student record, visit Experience MtA.