The Many Dimensions of Experiential Learning in Social Entrepreneurship

As a stream within C3 Innovation Labs, the Social Entrepreneurship Option involves a range of courses that combine theory and practical work, ultimately enhancing students’ personal and professional development. The nature of experiential learning in this stream and the subsequent opportunities which can arise from it are therefore quite multifaceted and I have been very fortunate to engage with these offerings in various ways.

Hello everyone. My name is Perri and I am fourth-year Global Studies student minoring in French and pursuing the Community Engagement and Social Entrepreneurship options. You could say that many experiences have “innovated” the past three years of my undergraduate career and many of these are connected to the inspiring people and unique opportunities I have encountered during my time at Wilfrid Laurier and in C3 Innovation Labs. Within the realm of Social Entrepreneurship, I have collaborated with fellow students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in a consulting capacity to propose creative solutions to the real-world problems posed to us by local institutions, namely the City of Waterloo and The Working Centre. Following these classroom-based experiences in SE200, SE300, and SE350 (that still encouraged us to leave the confines of the university campus), I was presented with the opportunity to continue thorough research and strategizing through an internship arising from CityStudio, a partnership between C3 Innovation Labs and the City of Waterloo. In partnership with my colleague and dear friend Kamil, I was able to deeply explore Participatory Budgeting as an initially new and unfamiliar field to me and appreciate the ability to make perceptible positive impact as an undergraduate student. The hands-on reality of this work-based position was just one of many invaluable forms of experiential learning. While consulting projects and internship work fostered professional attributes, collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, and functional knowledge, SE400 pushes the envelope by further underscoring self-awareness, self-motivation, and communication. As “future-preneurs” developing and launching our own social ventures, we must be true leaders in our own lives in order to realize our meaningful endeavours. This added lens to experiential learning and theory-in-practice takes personal development and adaptability to new levels, creating a capstone experience like no other. Ultimately, the scope of opportunities within Social Entrepreneurship innovate conventional understandings of experiential learning and unite an array of invaluable stakeholders to enhance the undergraduate student experience.

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