Twenty-two UWindsor faculty and staff earned professional certification from the National Society for Experiential Education by completing a three-day immersive academy in Windsor, July 10 to 12.

Hosted by the Office of Experiential Learning with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, it was the first of its kind in the country and attracted participants from Brock University as well as individuals from 19 departments across the University of Windsor.

The Experiential Education Academy is designed to provide a solid foundation in theory and practice of experiential education. Hosting it will benefit the campus culture, says Judy Bornais, acting executive director of the Office of Experiential Learning.

“Experiential learning can provide rich learning experiences that, along with reflection, can leave a lasting impact on our students,” she says. “Having so many faculty and staff attend the academy to further develop their pedagogical knowledge in experiential learning and exchange best practices with each other is great news for the University of Windsor and our students.”

In a 2016 report, the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel recommended that every post-secondary student in Ontario completes at least one opportunity in experiential learning before graduating.