{"id":23,"date":"2023-08-15T13:03:35","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T17:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/?page_id=23"},"modified":"2026-02-11T11:18:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:18:39","slug":"about-experiential-learning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/about-experiential-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Connector"},"content":{"rendered":"
History and Mission<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

The CAS Experiential Learning Connector launched on December 1, 2022, with the appointment of its inaugural director. Our\u00a0 mission is to help CAS undergraduates navigate and access experiential learning at BU and beyond. The programs we offer empower students to discover the real-world applications of their Arts & Sciences degree. <\/o:p>The work we do is supported through a $2.5 million anonymous gift from a generous donor.<\/p>\n

Our work<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

EL Connector programming is designed to help CAS undergraduates navigate the many ways to engage in experiential learning at BU, from one-day service-learning projects<\/strong> to year-long study abroad<\/strong> experiences \u2013 and everything in between. Our workshops and outreach efforts grow awareness about the benefits of experiential learning, while individualized guidance offered through our EL Mentorship<\/a> <\/strong>and EL Ambassador<\/a><\/b> programs empowers students to explore the full range of opportunities available to them at BU. We also provide financial<\/a><\/b> and academic support<\/a><\/b> to students engaging in off-campus internships. Through our programming, students create and articulate linkages from their coursework to their experiences outside of the classroom, activating their Arts & Sciences degree.<\/p>\n

For an overview of our work thus far, please see our Annual Report<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n

What is Experiential Learning?<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

Experiential learning is the process of<\/strong> learning by doing<\/strong>. It happens any time students apply the information and skills from the classroom to a real-world problem or question. To engage effectively, however, it\u2019s vital to take the time to reflect and to absorb the impact of an experience \u2013 so that future decisions can be made in full awareness of the lessons learned in the past. EL Connector programming prompts students to get the most of their experiences through the important work of self-reflection and self-discovery.<\/p>\n

Why engage in Experiential Learning?<\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

There\u2019s no question that experiential learning has a meaningful impact academic and professional development by helping students build teamwork skills, improve communication, practice decision-making, grow their networks, and make connections to prospective employers and mentors \u2013 all while building their resumes. But in the College of Arts & Sciences, we believe that the most import reason to EL is the opportunity it gives our undergraduates to explore questions that matter<\/strong>, to them personally and to the world more broadly.<\/p>\n

How to get connected<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h6>\n

We\u2019d love to hear from you! Please visit our Contact page<\/a><\/b> to send us a question or set up a time to meet.<\/p>\n

You can also reach us by email:\u00a0casel@bu.edu<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

History and Mission The CAS Experiential Learning Connector launched on December 1, 2022, with the appointment of its inaugural director. Our\u00a0 mission is to help CAS undergraduates navigate and access experiential learning at BU and beyond. The programs we offer empower students to discover the real-world applications of their Arts & Sciences degree. The work […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16661,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16661"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3314,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23\/revisions\/3314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas-connector\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}