CEL Canvas - 2015
Find out how CEL partners with community organizations to create dynamic partnerships with students.
The Mission
Advancing Loyola's Jesuit Catholic mission of "expanding knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice, and faith," the Center for Experiential Learning is an undergraduate curriculum center that collaborates with community, staff, and faculty partners as co-educators, to coordinate, develop, support, and implement academic experiential learning for students. Visit the center’s homepage
Experience
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Academic Internships
“I am more myself now than I was before and I owe that all to PAWS and this course. When everyone says that you find yourself through the service of others, I suppose they really do know what they are talking about… I am a more passionate and dedicated individual than I ever was before, and now I finally have direction in my life.”
- Lauren Rogers
- Major: History
- Year: 2016
- Interned at: PAWS
Lauren Rogers Major:History Year:2016 Interned at: PAWS
1,273 students enrolled in academic internship courses
Community Partnerships
Mutually beneficial relationships lie at the heart of the work of the Center for Experiential Learning, and relationships with community partners form the backbone of Loyola student learning off-campus. Students are able to expand their learning beyond the classroom through meaningful interactions with organizational staff and clients, highlighting the fact that everyone is both teacher and learner. As students help build capacity of our partner organizations, they have the opportunity to apply their learning to real-world situations and connect it to the lived experiences of their neighbors.
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700+ organizations hosted Loyola students for academic internships and service learning placements
96% of community partners indicated that Loyola students contributed to the building of organizational capacity
Undergraduate Research
16 different LUROP fellowships
38 majors represented
112 total mentors, 98 faculty, and 14 graduate students
Spring Symposium
The Center for Experiential Learning organizes an annual Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium. Over 300 Loyola students showcased their research and community engagement projects at this event during Loyola’s 2015 Weekend of Excellence.
“Being able to conduct research with other students, setting up my own projects, and applying learned theories and techniques from lecture in the real world have truly enhanced my understanding of the scientific world in general.”
329 total presenters
53 oral presentations
193 poster presentations
Service-learning
Service-learning brings academic content to life as students participate in the work of our communities, striving to make authentic connections between classroom studies and community action.
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2,453 students engaged in service-learning
104,569 Number of hours that Loyola students served Chicago communities
ePortfolio Program
An ePortfolio allows Loyola students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and values through a digital collection of their work.
3,439 learning portfolios created by students through academic and co-curricular courses/programs
3,296 learning portfolios created by students outside of a course or program requirement
3,439 learning portfolios created by students through academic and co-curricular courses/programs
3,296 learning portfolios created by students outside of a course or program requirement
Social Justice Internship
The Social Justice Internship Grant Program is a year-long, paid internship opportunity for Loyola undergraduate students. Through an intensive cohort model, students reflect upon their internship experiences and connect educational, professional, and personal development with issues of social justice and community development. During the 2014-2015 academic year, students engaged at one of two Chicago non-profits: Catholic Charities and Misericordia Heart of Mercy. Learn more
“...I see it as my responsibility to pay it forward with every person I meet.”
— Samy RiveraCommunity Engaged Academic Internship
Each year, approximately 60% of Loyola students enrolled in academic internship courses are in service internships—putting in 8-10 hours of volunteer work each week at Chicagoland organizations. Learn more
“Being in my engaged learning class taught me a lot. You can go about your day and take for granted what you have done or learned...”
— Laressa McCloynInternship Positions
Social Justice and Community Engaged Academic Internship program positions.
2014-2015 Social Justice Internship Positions
Misericordia Heart of Mercy
Catholic Charities
2014-2015 Community Engaged Positions
2014-2015 Social Justice Internship Positions
Misericordia Heart of Mercy Developmental Training Personal Effectiveness Program Recreation and Leisure Social Services
Catholic Charities Immigration and Naturalization Madonna House Refugee Resettlement
2014-2015 Community Engaged Positions
48th Ward Office Chicago Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Charities Chicago Police Department Cook County Adult Probation Department Cook County Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago Deborah's Place LIFT Chicago MarianJoy Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Developmental Center Refugee One LIFT Chicago Seven Generations Ahead United States Hispanic Leadership Institute Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center
Connecting to Engaged Teaching and Learning
The Center for Experiential Learning supports faculty in their teaching of engaged learning courses through faculty development programs, curriculum development consultations, experiential learning resources, and connections to community-based organizations.
Stacy Neier, PhD
Marketing Instructor, Quinlan School of Business
“The support of CEL has been instrumental for me to transform student projects by providing access to cutting-edge tools and travel to community events..."
Stefan Kanzok, PhD
Associate Professor, Biology
“...[The fellowship] allows me to become a better advisor to my students.”
Learn more about the Center for Experiential Learning
Visit Loyola’s Center for Experiential Learning for more information regarding academic internships, ePortfolios, service-learning, and undergraduate research. To learn more and view our many featured initiatives, read our 2015-2016 IMPACT annual report