Experiential Learning in CALS

Why should you pursue experiential learning at Virginia Tech?

As a student in CALS, you not only have access to top-notch classroom instruction, but an opportunity to experience a rich, hands-on, real-world education through many activities and experiences out in the “field.” The world is our classroom, and every student in CALS has an opportunity to experience it and discover your place in it. Connecting your academics and passions with real-world applications will bridge your time at Virginia Tech with your future- living out Ut Prosim in your community and beyond!

Experiental Learning in CALS

In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, we hope to provide rich experiential learning opportunities to all students through undergraduate research, internships, service-learning, and/or study abroad, or other collaborative problem-based or exploratory learning, in order to bridge their undergraduate education with real-world applications; therefore, we intend to enrich students’ educational experiences through the following aims of experiential learning:

• Inclusivity that engages students’ voices to create an accessible learning space for all audiences
• Application that generates the growth of skills through hands-on and scenario-based experiences that help to create global citizenship experiences
• Pedagogy that practices inclusivity within the classroom that allows for student-oriented decision making, group projects, and community 
• Adaptability that gives the teachers and students the space to learn from any outcome of the learning experience
• Partnerships that allow students to learn through exploratory opportunities in the campus, local, and global communities 
• Discussion that creates a space for key takeaways from the learning experience
• Reflection that provides a discovery-based thought process about the knowledge gained from the learning experience for work/life preparedness

Want to learn more about Bridge Experiences at Virginia Tech? Please visit the program website.  To learn more about experiential learning at Virginia Tech please visit Virginia Tech's experiential learning website. 

For questions about experiential learning in CALS, contact the CALS Academic Programs office at calsap@vt.edu