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
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…
Building confidence through community
Taylor Fleming once shared a single Airbnb with more than 15 of her VIU Dance teammates during a competition in Vancouver. “It was a weekend I’ll never…