Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre

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February 21, 2025

Apply now for Project Experiences with 40+ opportunities!

New program connects students and businesses

The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is pleased to be a partner in Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. Experience Ventures enables students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements.  

Entrepreneurial thinking is being creative in finding innovative solutions. It’s about taking initiative, exchanging knowledge across disciplines, being resourceful and learning from experience. It is essential to enriching lives and advancing society. 

We believe entrepreneurial thinking isn’t limited to a personality type or a discipline or to entrepreneurs alone. It is an accessible set of skills that everyone can leverage to make an impact, big or small, in any career. The hallmarks of entrepreneurial thinking – creativity, resiliency and future vision – will be critical factors to ensuring Canada’s success today, and tomorrow.  

Experience Ventures offers a unique opportunity to make real connections between students, schools and innovative businesses.  

Experience Ventures

Projects

152 placements, five types of programs. All include honorariums.

Hackathon

Intensive, one to two-day events with one or more businesses. These events present students with real-world challenges, which are not limited to technical problems but can also include social innovation issues. Students work collaboratively to develop and present suggested solutions within a maximum of 16 hours. This format encourages rapid ideation, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, providing students with a dynamic and immersive experience.  

 

 

Challenges

Extended part-time projects spanning several weeks, designed for students to develop more comprehensive solutions to specific social, business, design, or community problems presented partnering businesses.  Students form interdisciplinary teams, often working with peers from across the country. The goal is to present well-developed solutions to the host organization after dedicating up to 40 hours. This format promotes deep engagement with the problem, fostering collaboration and the application of diverse skills and perspectives.  

Projects Experiences

In the project-based WIL model, businesses submit specific projects they need assistance with, and they are matched with students from various disciplines and backgrounds. These projects are part-time, allowing students to apply their academic knowledge in practical settings over a maximum of 80 hours.  

Student-in-Residence Placements

Students get a unique opportunity to work with multiple businesses  throughout a term. Students are assigned to different businesses based on project and task needs. This model allows students to gain diverse experiences and insights by working on various projects, enhancing their adaptability and broadening their professional network. The duration for these experiences is also capped at 80 hours, providing substantial exposure while balancing academic commitments.  

Interdisciplinary Team Projects

Interdisciplinary work integrated learning (WIL) involves forming teams of students from multiple disciplines to work on a project for a business or group of businesses. This approach enables students to collaborate with peers from different areas of study, understanding how their unique skill sets can be applied in real-world scenarios. By working together over a maximum of 80 hours, students gain valuable interdisciplinary experience, enhancing their ability to tackle complex problems and prepare for diverse career paths.  

Eligibility

Become a member

Please submit an interest form to be informed about our upcoming opportunities!  

Benefits for Students

Benefits for Partner Businesses

Success Stories

Disclaimer

Experience Ventures, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, enables post-secondary students to make an impact alongside real world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements. Experience Ventures is funded by the Government of Canada and is delivered in partnership with post-secondary institutions nationwide. 

Saint Mary’s University’s Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is the Regional Lead Atlantic Canada partner in Experience Ventures. 

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