Experience Ventures

New program connects students and businesses 

Submit a form now and stay connected if you are interested!

About

The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is pleased to be a partner in Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. Experience Ventures enables students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements.   

Entrepreneurial thinking is being creative in finding innovative solutions. It’s about taking initiative, exchanging knowledge across disciplines, being resourceful and learning from experience. It is essential to enriching lives and advancing society. 

We believe entrepreneurial thinking isn’t limited to a personality type or a discipline or to entrepreneurs alone. It is an accessible set of skills that everyone can leverage to make an impact, big or small, in any career. The hallmarks of entrepreneurial thinking—creativity, resiliency and future vision—will be critical factors to ensuring Canada’s success today and tomorrow.  

Experience Ventures offers a unique opportunity to make real connections between students, schools and innovative businesses.  

Projects: 

152 placements, five types of programs. All include honorariums. 

There are an incredible 152 placements across five types of programs: 

Intensive, one to two-day events with one or more businesses. These events present students with real-world challenges, which are not limited to technical problems but can also include social innovation issues. Students work collaboratively to develop and present suggested solutions within a maximum of 16 hours. This format encourages rapid ideation, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, providing students with a dynamic and immersive experience.  

Extended part-time projects spanning several weeks, designed for students to develop more comprehensive solutions to specific social, business, design, or community problems presented partnering businesses.  Students form interdisciplinary teams, often working with peers from across the country. The goal is to present well-developed solutions to the host organization after dedicating up to 40 hours. This format promotes deep engagement with the problem, fostering collaboration and the application of diverse skills and perspectives.  

In the project-based WIL model, businesses submit specific projects they need assistance with, and they are matched with students from various disciplines and backgrounds. These projects are part-time, allowing students to apply their academic knowledge in practical settings over a maximum of 80 hours.  

Students get a unique opportunity to work with multiple businesses  throughout a term. Students are assigned to different businesses based on project and task needs. This model allows students to gain diverse experiences and insights by working on various projects, enhancing their adaptability and broadening their professional network. The duration for these experiences is also capped at 80 hours, providing substantial exposure while balancing academic commitments.

Interdisciplinary work integrated learning (WIL) involves forming teams of students from multiple disciplines to work on a project for a business or group of businesses. This approach enables students to collaborate with peers from different areas of study, understanding how their unique skill sets can be applied in real-world scenarios. By working together over a maximum of 80 hours, students gain valuable interdisciplinary experience, enhancing their ability to tackle complex problems and prepare for diverse career paths.  

Upcoming events

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Benefits for Students 

  • Connect with real-world innovators in Canada 
  • Gain direct insight into the innovation economy 
  • Apply classroom learning to real-world challenges 
  • Develop skills, build your network, improve your resume and employability 
  • Receive an honorarium 

Eligibility 

  • Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident enrolled in any full- or part-time program of post-secondary study at an Atlantic Canada college/university.  
  • Must be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations. 
  • Can participate in only one of the above programs. 

Benefits for Partner Businesses 

  • Access current thinking and perspectives from a talented pool of student 
  • Fresh thinking and contemporary knowledge with minimal impact on financial resources 
  • Connect with future talent pool  

How to Find Out More

Please Submit your interest form to let us know you are interested in joining the program and stay connected for upcoming events. 

Disclaimer: 

Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, enables post-secondary students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements. EV is funded by the Government of Canda and is delivered in partnership with post-secondary institutions nationwide.

Saint Mary’s University’s Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is the Regional Lead Atlantic Canada partner in Experience Ventures.

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