What is the Centre for Experiential Learning?
The Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) and Student Engagement at Vancouver Island University is a comprehensive hub supporting students, faculty and employers through a range of services that enhance work-integrated learning (WIL), career readiness, student engagement and success.
Our team provides essential resources for pre-employment preparation, career transition, and employer partnerships while maintaining critical administrative operations like record-keeping and reporting.
CEL serves as a bridge between academic learning and real-world experiences, fostering meaningful connections and ensuring students are prepared for life beyond graduation.
- Danielle Johnsrude, Director
Work-Integrated Learning and Career Services 2023 Highlights Report
This annual report highlights general trends and developments over the past year.
Student Stories
Shining a light on child and youth care workers
Ella Craig has always had a passion for working with children. “I know it’s not always easy, but I also know it’s something I was meant to do,” she says.…
Carpentry students build skills and community
On an otherwise-quiet stretch of land in tišosǝm, the bang of hammers and roar of saws are the sounds of a legacy being built. The structure rising from…
Alumni spotlight: Gillian Stuart
Finding her passion as a mature studentWhen Gillian Stuart returned to VIU nearly three decades after first enrolling, she was ready for a new career. After…
From homesick to hopeful: Five things I’m grateful for after 3.5 years at VIU
On January 4, 2023, I arrived at VIU alone, nervous and very uncertain. I wrote my first blog about the five things that surprised me about VIU while…
Turning clinic experience into community impact
Emma Rampanen will never forget working with a youth who is new to Canada and had never been to the dentist before. In addition to providing care, the Dental…