| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.27 |
| Liaison | Jesse Russell |
| Submission Date | Dec. 30, 2024 |
Canadore College
AC-4: Applied Learning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
4.1 Applied learning for sustainability program
List or sample of currently active/available applied learning or living laboratory experiences for students that address sustainability challenges:
At Canadore College, experiential learning is an essential component of applied learning, offering students hands-on experiences that directly connect classroom theory with real-world practice. Whether through on-campus projects, community engagement, or industry placements, these opportunities immerse students in environments where they can apply their knowledge and skills.
Students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of experiential learning opportunities listed here
They are also able to get realworld experience through placement opportunities
Riipen is Canadore College's private experiential learning hub that connects educators with external partners to tackle societal challenges through courses. This platform empowers students to apply theory to real-world issues, gaining essential skills while collaborating with diverse stakeholders under faculty guidance. Educators play a key role, mentoring students and facilitating impactful projects that address urgent societal needs. Both stakeholders and educators can propose projects for student collaboration.
Other Notable Living Labs Projects by the Sustainability team.
Living Lab Project 1: Food Security
The Food Security Living Lab features solar-powered hydroponic grow pods and soil-based units that produce fresh, sustainable food year-round. Students gain experiential learning opportunities while addressing food insecurity and advancing innovative, eco-friendly agriculture solutions.
Living Lab Project 2: Forest Management
Canadore’s 10-year Forest Management Plan engages students, staff, and community members in sustainable forestry practices, including carbon sequestration measurement, invasive species removal, and FSC certification. This project promotes biodiversity, protects forest health, and supports carbon neutrality goals on 460 acres of managed land.
Are three or more institutional departments or units currently supporting solutions-focused applied learning or living laboratory experiences for students?:
Are there processes or tools in place to assess the success of the applied learning projects?:
Description of the processes or tools used to assess the success of the applied learning projects:
Is there an online portal or equivalent vehicle that documents completed, current, and/or prospective applied learning projects?:
Description of and/or website URL for the online portal or equivalent vehicle that documents completed, current, and/or prospective applied learning projects:
Sustainable Canadore documents its projects on its website that documents completed, current, and prospective applied learning projects. This portal provides links to detailed information about various initiatives. For example:
- The Food Security Living Lab project, which utilizes hydroponic grow pods, is documented here
- The Community Orchards project is accessible here
- The 10-Year Forest Management project, focused on sustainable forestry practices, is detailed here
- As part of our active forest management plan, student employees and School of Environmental Studies students play a hands-on role in identifying and removing invasive species from our properties. This proactive approach helps to mitigate the spread of invasive plants while providing students with valuable, real-world experience in sustainable forest management.
Our Research Centre maintains a thorough internal listing reported annually using Monday.com
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.