Mission
The mission of the Center for Experiential Learning is to create and facilitate experiential learning that complements the St. Olaf curriculum to enrich students' academic programs and guide students in the process for pursuing vocational goals.
Programs
The Center’s programs work collaboratively with St. Olaf’s academic departments and programs to provide to students a rich array of experiential opportunity.
Career Connections
The Career Connections program assists students in developing, implementing and evaluating career/life plans and educates faculty and staff regarding issues of career and life planning. The career connections process emphasizes career exploration, experiential learning, and reflection through a wide range of assessments, resources, services, and programs throughout the campus community. For more information contact Kirsten Cahoon '98, associate director for career connections or Megan Rivera, career counselor.
Entrepreneurship Program
The Finstad Program for Entrepreneurial Studies promotes entrepreneurial thinking and action among students, faculty and alumni of St. Olaf College. We embrace the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation definition of an entrepreneur as "one who takes advantage of knowledge and resources to identify and pursue opportunities that initiate change and create value in one's life and those of others." The program is dedicated to the advancement of education, research, and service in entrepreneurship within the liberal arts context by providing Finstad Grants, entrepreneurship courses, internships, and regular entrepreneurial events. For more information contact Sian Muir, associate director of entrepreneurial studies.
Internships Program
The Internships program provides services and resources that assist students in exploring and engaging in internships. Academic internships allow students to apply their classom learning to a structured educational work experience. These experiential learning opportunities encourage students to build a network of employer contacts, develop transferable skills, assess strengths and interests, and evaluate career and/or graduate school options as they prepare for life beyond the campus. The program works to create meaningful learning experiences by facilitating interactions among students, faculty, alumni, and organizations. For more information contact Sandy Malecha, associate director for internships.
Civic Engagement Program
This, the newest of the CEL programs, is a collaboration between the CEL’s experiential learning professionals and faculty, helping classroom instructors identify ways that students can connect service and civic engagement to classroom learning. Building on the college’s longstanding commitment to service and community involvement, the goal of the program is to make these activities academic in nature while contributing to the needs of the community. For more information contact the associate director for civic engagement, Nate Jacobi.
Lilly Grant Program "Lives of Worth and Service"
The Lives of Worth and Service program aids students, faculty, staff and alumni in their discernment of and reflection on vocation. This unique program, funded with a grant from the Lilly Endowment's Program on the Theological Exploration of Vocation, seeks to make and institutionalize change in such a way that the entire St. Olaf community is engaged in coming to a new understanding of the meaning of "vocation." From Week One to graduation and beyond, workshops, mentoring, curricular programs and retreats will integrate the discussion of vocation into the very fabric of the St. Olaf experience. Learn more »»
