C of I's CENTER OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Posted by Leora Summers

on Nov 20, 2014

Jennifer Riddle, Director of the Center of Experiential Learning, at the College of Idaho, spoke to us this last week about that program. The CEL helps students with internship placements, studies abroad, and other aspects of career preparation. The experiences abroad help the students learn to adapt to new situations and boosts their confidence outside their main area of study. They are immersed in other cultures for studies in their majors and minors.

At the CEL, there is an "Interactive Job Board" at "Coyote Connection Live", where employers list jobs available in their companies, and students can connect with them.

Students at the College of Idaho get a true "fine arts" education, as they are required to achieve 3 minor academic areas along with their major. This helps the student be able to list their skills in more than one area, and helps them be open to employment not necessarily in their main field of study. Sometimes the job market doesn't cooperate within the field they studied, and the student has a broader scope of skills to draw from and their opportunities are not as limited. The C of I is unique in this academic requirement of students.