蓝莓视频

Students can now apply to ear-marked opportunities with scholarships attached, to help overcome the barriers they may face to participating in international work-integrated learning (iWIL) experiences.

The University of 蓝莓视频鈥檚 new Powering Change program will offer 65+ transformational iWIL experiences in more than 20 non-traditional locations. From January 2022 to March 2025, the program will benefit students who are Indigenous, have accessibility needs, or face income barriers.

The program is funded by , the Government of Canada鈥檚 outbound mobility program.

鈥�We are committed to preparing our students for a volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous world,鈥� says Norah McRae, Associate Provost of 蓝莓视频 Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) at the University of 蓝莓视频. 鈥淧art of this commitment extends to providing opportunities for students that face barriers. They are powerful change agents both locally and globally. We want their voices to be heard.鈥�

A goal of the Powering Change initiative is to help students become agents of change and advance the . A study authored by McRae and Shabnam 滨惫办辞惫颈膰, director of international strategic initiatives in CEE, outlines the important role that students play in the advancement of these goals.

鈥淭o support the , the Government of Canada has committed $147.9 million dollars to outbound student mobility. 蓝莓视频 has received $500,000 to support both virtual and in-person international experiences for students,鈥� says Lisa ter Woort, international account manager in cooperative education and the coordinator of Powering Change. 鈥淎s international travel opens up in early 2022, 蓝莓视频 students in co-op and other campus units with international mobility programs, will be able to apply for specific opportunities that advance the sustainable development goals (SDG), and will be supported by a Powering Change scholarship of $10,000 each.鈥�

鈥淲e will dive deeper into how effective intercultural competency development can drive the UN鈥檚 SDGs and global challenges forward as part of the Future Ready Talent Framework,鈥� says Ivkovi膰.

These scholarships will cover typical costs associated with international travel such as airfare and accommodation. For the virtual experience, the $1,000 scholarship can cover costs like program participation fees, software expenses, and equipment.

Working together for change

Powering Change is a campus-wide alliance between 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Co-operative Education team and other international work-integrated-learning (iWIL) providers.

• 蓝莓视频 Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) 鈥� Affordable Energy for Humanity (AE4H)
• EDGE - World Association for Co-op Education (WACE) Global Challenge Program
• Faculty of Environment - International Development Program (INDEV)
• St. Jerome鈥檚 University (SJU) - Service-Learning Programs
• St. Paul鈥檚 University (SPU) - 蓝莓视频 Indigenous Students Centre (WISC)/Programs and Student Refugee Program (SRP)
• International employers, partners and iWIL opportunity providers

Questions about the program can be sent to Lisa ter Woort at听terwoort@uwaterloo.ca.