Maple League of Universities receives funding for experiential learning platform
Partnership between RBC Future Launch and Riipen provides $50,000 funding to incorporate practical and meaningful work experience into university classrooms
Sherbrooke, October 9, 2019 – The Maple League of Universities is pleased to announce that the RBC Future Launch program has awarded the four universities – Acadia, Mount Allison, St. Francis Xavier, and Bishop’s – $50,000 in funding to make Riipen’s work-integrated learning software available at the four Maple League institutions.
At the core of our mission is the centrality of the student experience. By providing unique experiential learning opportunities such as those made possible through the Riipen platform, we equip our students with the skills necessary to enter the world ready for a rapidly changing job market.
“Experiential learning is critical to a 21st century liberal education, and is well aligned with the emerging and established strategic visions of our universities,” said Dr. Peter Ricketts, Chair of the Maple League of Universities and President of Acadia University. “We are excited to see how this platform can help us with capacity building and resource sharing. Riipen will give our students access to valuable work experience that will enhance their learning and stand out to future employers.”
This investment will allow our institutions to build more experiential and work-integrated learning into courses and provide support for faculty who want to incorporate industry projects and case studies more easily and directly into the curriculum. Experiential or capstone assignments can be posted to Riipen’s marketplace of over 5,000 industry partners, and students will work on real-world projects to gain hands-on experience, demonstrate employable skills and network with employers.
“We are excited to be partnering with the Maple League. Seeing this level of collaboration between institutions is crucial to the improvement of student experiences,” said Dana Stephenson, CEO and Founder of Riipen. “What makes the Maple League an especially exciting partner for us is their focus on teaching, their shared history in the liberal arts and their willingness to work together to improve the student experience. We look forward to seeing creative and collaborative experiential learning opportunities for students facilitated through Riipen.”
About The Maple League The Maple League is made up of four universities – Acadia, Bishop’s, Mount Allison and St. Francis Xavier – who together form an alliance of small, rural, undergraduate liberal education institutions with Francophone heritage and a commitment to honouring indigenous communities. By fostering reciprocal relationships across institutional boundaries, we provide extraordinary opportunities to transform as leaders, scholars, and institutions. The Maple League creates distinctive learning environments that ensure our graduates are capable of navigating an increasingly complex world as citizens and leaders dedicated to the values of a just and civil society. www.mapleleague.ca
About Riipen Riipen is North America’s largest online work-integrated learning marketplace, where organizations of all sizes connect with educators to collaborate with university and college students on short-term projects and competitions. Their mission is to “enable all students from all backgrounds and geographies to access work-integrated experiential learning (WIEL) to support learners of all backgrounds to bridge the skills gap, gain career clarity, network with potential employers, and find jobs they love.” https://riipen.com/
About RBC Future Launch RBC Future Launch is a 10-year, $500-million initiative to help young people across Canada gain access and opportunity to the skills, job experience and career networks needed for the future world of work. https://www.rbc.com/dms/enterprise/futurelaunch/index.html
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For more information:
Daniela Pico Manager of Strategic Partnerships Riipen daniela.p@riipen.com 647-778-9471
Dr. Jessica Riddell Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Executive Director, The Maple League Full Professor, Department of English, Bishop’s University 3M National Teaching Fellow (2015) director@mapleleague.ca
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