Putting the experience in experiential learning
Donations to experiential learning funds allow students to explore the world, as if it were a living classroom. These gifts help provide equal access to students from all walks of life to the many field schools and global learning opportunities UVic provides.
When students learn off-campus—getting hands-on experience in the field, or being immersed in the sights and sounds of other countries and cultures—a special type of learning takes place. Here are two examples of how donor funding enabled students to take advantage of these opportunities in pursuit of their academic ambitions.
Cuba Ethnographic Field SchoolÂ
For Djuna Nagasaki, spending time in a Cuba for a field school was an experience she will never forget. Field Schools are short-term learning experiences that teach students beyond the classroom. Djuna, a fourth year honours anthropology student with a minor in Indigenous ³Ô¹ÏÍø, attended the Cuba Ethnographic Field school in May, 2023.
“It was amazing, but very challenging. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and was not an easy context to be in. Access to food was very difficult. I couldn’t go to a grocery store when I was hungry, but I was well taken care of by professors and families.” —Djuna Nagasaki
At first, engaging with the community proved to be a challenge for the students, and Djuna quickly learned that Cuban Spanish was very different due to the Creole influence. Over time, however, she learned more about the local culture. As she got to know some members of the Indigenous community, she shared their food and learned some traditional dances—dances that are the root of modern Cuban salsa.
Djuna’s participation in the field school was made possible by the Social Sciences Experiential Fund. She expressed that, without that funding, she would not be able to attend and is eternally grateful for that support. The experience helped Djuna decide on the next steps in her academic career.
Study abroad program in SpainÂ
The Humanities Travel and Learning Fund provides scholarships for students travelling abroad. Celine Lessard drew on this fund and other scholarships to do a semester at the University of Alcalá, near Madrid, Spain. Celine is working towards a degree in Hispanic ³Ô¹ÏÍø with a minor in professional education and she went to Spain primarily to improve her Spanish.
"Doing a study abroad semester is not cheap. You really have to budget your time and your money. Having a scholarship means you can stress less about the money and focus on what you can see, experience and learn while you are on the study abroad program." —Celine Lessard
This was Celine’s first time in Europe, and she was interested in learning about the differences in culture, food and history within Spain and other countries in Europe. She even visited Rome one weekend. From a language perspective, she was fascinated by how Spanish, spoken in so many different countries, changed and shifted. Even between southern and northern Spain, there were noticeably different dialects and inflections.
"It's immersive in a way that you don't really understand when you haven't travelled before. It's different from a vacation. I have a roommate who only speaks Spanish. It's a real learning opportunity. It's challenging. I'm having a lot of fun!"
Thanks to the assistance of donors, these opportunities to experience learning in these living classroom environments give students like Djuna and Celine a new and lasting perspective of the world and their academic subjects.
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