Amy Thompson, George Bolla, David Tamim Manan and Chen Chen in a presentation room at the IPB (Innovation Partnership Building)

About Experiential Education

The UConn Engineering experiential education program is a teaching philosophy that provides different methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with students in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute to their communities. In essence, we help shape how students develop themselves through experience.

We provide different disciplines and settings utilize experiential education methodologies: internships, language based learning, place-based education, global education through our study abroad program, environmental education, student-oriented education, active learning in the classroom, co-ops, service learning, cooperative learning and expeditionary learning.

Discover Our Mission and Vision

Why Experiential Education and Things That We Consider

Our student success is important and we take into account the following aspects of our Experiential Education Program:

  • Students are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically.
  • The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and learning.
  • Student relationships are developed and nurtured: student to self, student to others and learner to the world at large.
  • The educator and student may experience success, failure, adventure, risk-taking and uncertainty, because the outcomes of experience cannot totally be predicted.
  • Opportunities are nurtured for students and educators to explore and examine their own values through the college experience.
  • Our primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing problems, setting boundaries, supporting students, insuring intellectual safety, and facilitating the learning process.