Experiential Education Student(s) of the Year Award
The Experiential Education Student of the Year Award recognizes student achievement in experiential education.
Who Can Apply?
We are calling all Brock University students participating in a curricular experiential education opportunity to consider applying for this award.
The winner will be chosen based on their contributions to the broader community, community/industry partner, and Brock University, as well as evidence of student growth and development as a result of their experience(s).
If your experience is a co-op education work term, please see the Co-op Student of the Year award.
Eligibility
Nominees must be enrolled full-time and have participated in at least one curricular experiential education opportunity (other than co-op) within the current calendar year.
Awards are issued based on the calendar year, not the academic year.
Award Conditions
By submitting this application, students agree to the following:
“If my application meets the eligibility requirements for the Experiential & Work–Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO) Student of the Year Award and/or the Co–operative Education and Work–Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada Student of the Year Award, I consent to be nominated by Brock University. I agree to work collaboratively with Brock’s Co–op, Career and Experiential Education (CCEE) team to meet all nomination and eligibility requirements (including revisions, formatting, and supporting materials). I further authorize Brock University, EWO, and CEWIL to use my name, image, and non–confidential application materials for adjudication, recognition, marketing, promotional, and communications purposes. Non–confidential descriptions of the experiential learning activity may be referenced, and proprietary or commercially sensitive information will not be shared without explicit permission.”
Selection Criteria
- Outstanding achievements in Experiential Education
- Evidence of:
- Impact to community partner (if applicable)
- Impact to student(s) and their deep learning
- Impact within the Brock University community
Supporting Materials
Please see below for who can provide supporting materials (e.g., letter, audio recording, video testimonial, other creative methods for expressions of support, etc.) for your application.
- Brock University Staff
- Community/Industry Partner, Host Organization (e.g., Employer, Supervisor, etc.)*
- Faculty/Course Instructor
- Impacted Community Member
Any support material should (written or verbal):
- be dated with the time (dd/mm/yyyy) it was produced
- articulate the full name and any affiliation of the supporter (e.g., organization, job title/role, etc.)
- outline the student nominee(s)’ work/interaction with the supporter and demonstrate the student(s) application of learning (e.g., date[s] involved, their role/duties and responsibilities, specific achievements and outcomes, etc.)
- articulate the impact and value of the student(s)’ work (e.g., to community, on the student(s) themselves, and [if applicable] the organization)
- only reference contributions during the award calendar year
*If your application includes an experience that involved a community/industry partner, and/or host organization, then one of your support materials MUST come from the Community/Industry Partner and/or Host Organization (e.g., Employer, Supervisor, etc.). These experiences may include:
- Apprenticeships
- Applied community and industry research projects
- Entrepreneurship
- Field placements
- Internships
- Professional practicums/Clinical placements
- Service-Learning/Consulting projects
- Other [non-Co-op] work experiences
Experiences involving a community/industry partner, and/or host organization should also describe the nature and depth of the relationship between the student and the partner organization or workplace in any supporting material(s).
Adjudication Committee
Applications are adjudicated by a committee of staff and professionals who work in the Experiential Education space. Committee members can be:
- the Director of Co-op, Career and Experiential Education;
- the Associate Director, Experiential Education;
- Brock University faculty members;
- Members of Brock University’s Senior Administration;
- Members of the Experiential Education Team across campus; and/or
- Campus Partners who support Experiential Education.
All decisions of the adjudication committee are final and may not be appealed.
Submission Details and Deadlines
Students are limited to one submission per calendar year. Applications may be submitted throughout the calendar year, until 11:59 PM EST on December 1. You can find an application guide below on what you will need to complete the application.
Awards are adjudicated per calendar year (not academic year). There is only one winner (individual student or group) per calendar year. The award winner will be notified in January, and the award will be presented in April at the CCEE Celebration & Recognition Event.
Application Guide, FAQs and Tips
Link to Application Guide: Brock-University-EE-SOTY-Application-Guide.pdf
To create a strong and accurate application, we recommend you draft it during your experiential education experience and submitting it shortly after completion. You should reflect on your experience promptly afterward to ensure accuracy and details are properly captured and the necessary supporting materials (e.g., a letter of support from a community partner) can be obtained.
- For an experience completed in the Winter Semester, you should ideally submit an application in April.
- For a experience completed in the Spring/Summer Semester, you should ideally submit an application in August.
- For a experience completed in the Fall Semester, you should ideally submit an application before the calendar year deadline on the 1st of December.
You may include multiple experiences from the same calendar year, but only one application can be submitted. If you are submitting an application for more than one experience in the same calendar year, reflect and update your draft application after each experience, and submit the complete application before the calendar year deadline on the 1st of December.
Professional Quality of Application
- Demonstrates, care, competency, and professional etiquette throughout the application.
- Application documents (essay, resume, etc.) are polished (error, grammar, spelling, design) and effort/time invested is apparent in its completion.
Value of Experiential Learning (EL) Experience
- Essay describes the EL opportunity in detail and makes robust connections to the student’s academic study.
- Student demonstrates deep reflection on their personal, career, and academic development.
- The EL experience and student contribution resulted in impact to the community, partner organization, and/or Experiential Education at Brock.
Supporting Material(s) (Community Partner, Instructor, Staff, etc.,)
- Strong materials of support must show: student application of learning; impact/value of student work to the student(s), organization, and community; and connection(s) between the student(s) and organization with which they engaged.
Student Portfolio(s) (Preferred but not required)
- Portfolio is included and strongly enhances the overall application. Contents include photos/footage, samples, or assets of the student(s)’ work in the experiential education activity. The portfolio indicates that the student has made strong connections between their EL experience and their personal and professional development.
If you are including a Fall (September to December) experience that is not completed by the December 1 deadline, you must still apply by December 1 and describe the experience as it stands at that time.
Your experiential education experience must be completed within the calendar year for consideration. For example, for course experiences overlapping (D1) Fall/Winter semesters, the application would be submitted upon completion in the Winter term (e.g., April), adjudicated in December of that calendar year, and (if you win), would be awarded in April of the following calendar year (i.e., one year from original submission).
Questions? Need Help?
Please reach out to the Experiential Education Coordinator who services your Faculty/the Faculty you worked with. Not sure who to contact? Please visit the Co-op, Career and Experiential Education (CCEE) Contact us page to find out how to reach us and determine the best point of contact.
Application Form for Experiential Education Student(s) of the Year Award
EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION STUDENT(S) OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS
Experiential Education Community Partner of the Year Award
The Experiential Education Community Partner of the Year Award is awarded to a community/industry partners who partnered with a student/group of students to conduct experiential learning through one (or more) of the many curricular experiential education (EE) opportunities at Brock University during the calendar year.
Winners embodied the following criterion:
Collaboration in EE Experience / Relationship: equally or more involved in the process of planning and executing the EE opportunity with the students. They were active partners in the course, exceeding expectations of involvement and impact with students. From their thoughtful collaboration, the relationship grew and many benefited.
Student Experience: actively engaged in the student experience throughout the process, ensuring ongoing communication, support, and improvement throughout. Students were impacted by their experience with the partner, and it was instrumental to their learning in the course.
Brock / EE Champion: speaking often and ‘loudly’ to others in community about the positive experience of working with Brock, and of their support of EE and its impact on student learning, and the organization. They participated in EE enthusiastically, and regularly are seeking new opportunities.
Expressions of Support: supported by nominators in a manner where the impact of the EE activity, relationship(s), and reciprocal learning are clearly positive, and deeply felt.
Community Impact: involved in a project that a had a significant impact on a larger community. The project deeply addressed and responded to significant community needs or challenges, demonstrating clear and meaningful outcomes for the community.