About C3IL
Pursuing an education in Laurier’s most interdisciplinary faculty will be one of the greatest journeys of a student’s life. In this fast changing and ever-evolving world, we understand that our students need both a deep grounding in knowledge and a set of skills that will enable them to stand out in their careers as they apply that knowledge in effective and impactful ways.
C3 Innovation Labs (C3IL) is a hub of experiential learning opportunities in the Faculty of Arts that will enable just that. Through C3IL, we bring together a new and unique partnership among the three ‘Cs’:
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The Laurier campus;
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The tri-cities (Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge); and
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Our local communities.
We offer a mixture of for-credit courses, internships and other opportunities that enable our students to use their Arts education to understand the complex social challenges faced by our cities and communities and to create and test creative solutions. Through these innovative programs, our students get to evaluate and apply what they are learning in the lecture hall and seminar room in the real world while earning university credit toward their degrees.
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Our programs fall under a number of different streams that can be taken individually or together. In the Social Entrepreneurship course (SE400) our students spend an entire academic year developing and launching their own social enterprise under the guidance of Laurier faculty members. Through the Capstone Urban Sustainability Project (CUSP) course, our students undertake a yearlong consultation for the City of Cambridge and compete to implement an actual project for the city. Through CityStudio courses (SE330) and internships, students work closely with staff at the City of Waterloo to help them implement creative programs and initiatives to meet the demands of a vibrant and fast-growing city.
Through C3IL, we seek not only to inspire and empower our students in their education and careers but to also nurture a future generation of changemakers who will lead our communities, cities and our planet to a more authentic, vibrant and sustainable future.
