{"id":50673,"date":"2018-04-23T14:53:05","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T18:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=50673"},"modified":"2018-04-23T15:15:41","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T19:15:41","slug":"celebration-paints-healthy-picture-of-experiential-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2018\/04\/celebration-paints-healthy-picture-of-experiential-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebration paints healthy picture of experiential education"},"content":{"rendered":"

The smell of fresh spray paint and hot hors d\u2019oeuvres filled the air at the Experiential Education Community Partner Appreciation Reception.<\/span><\/p>\n

The unconventional combination \u2014 due in part to a live outdoor painting exercise by local artist Mathew Vizbulis \u2014welcomed the more than 100 community partners, faculty and staff to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, where they gathered to\u00a0celebrate the University\u2019s experiential education endeavours on Wednesday, April 18.<\/p>\n

As the first Canadian University to have its Experiential Education definitions ratified by its Senate, Brock has quickly gained a reputation for having hands-on opportunities woven into almost every one of its programs.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Brock faculty, staff and community partners gathered to watch a live outdoor painting exercise from local artist Mathew Vizbulis during the Experiential Education Community Partner Appreciation Reception.<\/p><\/div>\n

For Cara Krezek, Brock\u2019s Director of Co-op, Career and Experiential Education, community partnerships are central to the University\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrock\u2019s roots are embedded in community initiatives,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom the founding of the University until now, we have relied on community partners to engage our students and provide them with a more full post-secondary experience. This event is a tribute to the community itself and how engaged and committed our partners are to student learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike Stangl, owner of Stangl\u2019s Enviro Lawn Care, is one of the partners Krezek mentioned. After receiving student consultation on several projects, including integrated marketing communications, database assistance and health and safety plans, he has become a firm believer in the necessity of experiential learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have partnered with more than 100 students,\u201d he said. \u201cAll of them have allowed me to open my way of thinking to different avenues that generate more business and helped me to grow as a person, and we know it\u2019s done the same for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stangl has also enjoyed working with Brock\u2019s Experiential Education team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been exceptional,\u201d he said. \u201cThey made the whole process and direction simple. I fully understood everything that was expected of me and of the students, and it was a very enjoyable process.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Stangl and the other guests sampled the food and beverages on offer, Vizbulis treated the crowd to an outdoor painting display that showcased \u2018graffuturism,\u2019 a concept that uses graffiti principles in a more studio- or performance-based environment.<\/p>\n

As a contributor to several Brock experiential education projects, Vizbulis is also a supporter of the University\u2019s efforts to provide education for its students in settings outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me this is making history,\u201d he said. \u201cBrock is reaching out and keeping its doors open to the community. The University is evolving and it\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vizbulis also complimented the University\u2019s ability to expose its students to real-world experiences within the context of academic study.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to see educational institutions grab a hold of something at the grassroots level to see what it really means,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Watching Vizbulis in action from the other side of the glass, Madelyn Law, Brock\u2019s Faculty Associate for Experiential Education, highlighted the colossal impact that experiential opportunities can have on students\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s something that can be life-changing,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to thank our community partners for the time and energy they devote to our students. It\u2019s important for them to understand that the opportunities they provide can have a huge impact on students\u2019 careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the event wrapped up and Vizbulis\u2019 artwork was safely transported to Brock\u2019s main campus to be displayed, Stangl summed up the feelings of many in attendance while reflecting on the unlikely role he now plays.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t consider myself to be an academic,\u201d he said. \u201cBut to meet other likeminded people here shows what the working world can offer to students who are still in the midst of their studies. Learning from the textbook is great, but sometimes you have to call an audible in the backfield.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those interested in partnering with Brock\u2019s experiential education team are invited to visit the Community Partners section of the University\u2019s Experiential Education website<\/a> or to email ccee@brocku.ca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The smell of fresh spray paint and hot hors d\u2019oeuvres filled the air at the Experiential Education Community Partner Appreciation Reception. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":50675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40,7,37,1,4],"tags":[6158,5050,4811,6544,3086,46,6542,6543],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50673"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50673"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50680,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50673\/revisions\/50680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}