University of Calgary
AC-5: Immersive Experience

The University of Calgary provides multiple options for Reading Week programs (https://www.ucalgary.ca/ccel/ucalgarycares/reading-week), Centre for Community Engaged Learning Spring/Summer Programs (https://www.ucalgary.ca/ccel/ucalgarycares/spring-summer) and the University of Calgary International group study and internship programs (https://www.ucalgary.ca/uci/abroad/find-program). These programs are immersive experiences which range in duration from 4 days to 4 months and are offered throughout the year. Each program explores the various aspects of sustainability in a geographic area or a topic such as homelessness. One such program is the Environmental and Urban Geography of Iceland, Scandinavia and Western Europe. This particular group study recognizes that countries within the Scandinavian and Icelandic areas have gained international reputations as leaders in urban and environmental innovation and provides students with the chance to make firsthand connections between a wide spectrum of issues and topics surrounding urban and environmental sustainability throughout the region. Participants and supervising professors travel together for six weeks across six countries throughout Iceland, Scandinavia and Western Europe, with an itinerary that explores Europe’s examples of environmental issues and policies, regional sustainable development, current and historical urban design, conservation, the legacy of geography, and the significance of Europe's historical urban development. Exposure to urban and rural landscapes is maximized through direct observation, instruction, and fieldwork. Other options include Environmental and Urban Geography of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand; Solving Global Problems: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy; and Cultural Landscape of the Maya: Heritage, Tourism and Sustainability. The Centre also offers the UCalgaryCares: Indigenous Leadership & Engagement program. This collaborative service-learning program sends students to the Arctic Institute of North America and Kluane Nation Territory in the Yukon. Students further their knowledge of social justice, Indigenous ways of knowing and cross-cultural awareness through service and participation in the local community. All participants receive Native Ambassador Post-Secondary Initiative certification on their co-curricular records after completing the program. UCalgaryCares offers local, national and international volunteer programs for student engagement. Programs are diverse, exploring issues of sustainability, poverty, global citizenship and community development through service.