Why Experiential Learning Opportunities Are Important for Networking
While in University and at any point in your life, networking is one of the most important skills you can develop. Networking can help you find jobs, volunteer opportunities and build connections. It is also an effective tool to help you make friends, increase knowledge, improve interpersonal skills and lead you to explore career paths you had never considered before. If you want to start networking and don’t know how, a terrific way to develop these skills is through taking Experiential Learning (EL) courses. At the University of Guelph, there are many opportunities to take EL courses. In my own personal experience as a third-year student in the Sexualities, Genders and Social Change (SXGN) program in the College of Arts at U of G, I have taken three EL courses (one per year) but you can take as many as you would like!
What Are EL Courses?
EL courses integrate practical experience, offering diverse ways to learn. In EL courses, you are connected with community members in fields relevant to the course you are taking to further your learning through hands-on experiences. Typically, the courses begin with a few weeks of lecture-style learning about topics you will need to be familiar with for your hands-on experience. Then, you will be assigned a project either with a predetermined community organization or one you can choose yourself. Your courses moving forward then involve building connections with the selected organization and completing your assigned project. Typically, at the end of the course, you will present your findings from completing the project. Overall, EL courses teach you how to work in a team, how to connect with different organizations and how to directly apply your learning to a cause or work environment. They also help you develop so many important life skills like effective communication, problem solving and adaptability.
How EL Courses Assisted Me in Networking
As mentioned, I have taken a few EL courses throughout my program. Each of these experiences has assisted in the development of my networking skills. For my EL project in my SXGN 2000 course, my peers and I decided we wanted to run a donation drive for the Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis Centre to collect their most needed items in recognition of International Women’s Day. Throughout this project, I made many connections through networking not just with peers in my group but with outside organizations. We ran the donation drive out of the Bullring, a restaurant on the U of G campus, for three weeks. Throughout the drive, we had many opportunities to interact with interested students and Bullring staff members to build connections.
During this project, we created promotional materials for the event and worked with a variety of organizations on campus who supported us in raising awareness about the event. We received more than six full boxes of donations to give to the Centre filled with various items like menstrual products, hygiene products, assorted sizes of diapers for babies and so much more! This would not have been possible without a group effort and our connections both on and off campus.
Once we collected all the donations, we dropped them off at the Centre where we met several staff members. The staff members showed us around the Centre and explained the responsibilities of each of their roles which provided us with insight into possible career opportunities in the field of social work and Not for Profit Organizations. This experience highlighted how our donations would make a difference in the community. We were shown the Centre’s donation rooms where those in need can access necessities such as hygiene products, warm clothes, baby products and more. We were also shown a separate room that contained food for the local shelter as well as another room stocked with toys for children in need during the holidays. The overall experience provided my peers and I with invaluable networking opportunities and created a strong connection between the SXGN program and the Centre.
How Organizations Involved Support Your Development
This past year, my EL experience was vastly different from my experience in SXGN 2000. I became the social media community manager for the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED). GRCGED is an on-campus organization which aims to provide a safe space for all. Since starting this position, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with two EL classes, acting as the first point of contact for support for groups of EL students who join our team each semester. The students assist us with creating content for our TikTok account and other social media platforms as well as our podcast. The EL student groups are also taught new skills including how to connect with audiences through social media. They attend workshops with GRCGED, community members and various organizations and form connections with individuals in the office who have many different levels of experience. Within each of these scenarios, the students successfully network and build connections with U of G faculty, staff and students and members of surrounding communities and organizations. Here, I support their learning with constant communication either through email or in person to help assist them with developing their content ideas. This experience helps them to build their professional portfolios and increase their networking skills which they can apply far beyond their time at U of G.
While working in this capacity, I have been able to sit down with the students and members of GRCGED, build connections with them and teach them what I know about social media engagement. In return, they have shared their experience and expertise with me. Throughout this process, both parties have had opportunities to exchange knowledge and sharpen their interpersonal skills. In turn, all parties have been encouraged to grow professionally which has driven the success and effectiveness of the content and communications created. From my perspective, the EL courses I have taken have equipped me with real world experience in interacting with colleagues, addressing challenges, forming connections and managing projects and teams. EL has offered me countless opportunities to develop important skills like networking and interpersonal communication which will prove vital in seeking future employment, pursuing volunteer opportunities and building strong connections throughout my life.