Experience Ventures seeks community partners after receiving new funding

Following a successful launch in Summer 2021, Experience Ventures has received additional funding. Open to local organizations and businesses in the Kingston area, we are seeking community partners for approximately ten to twelve organizational projects that up to 80 students could take part in.

Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, Experience Ventures enables students to make an impact alongside real-world innovators through entrepreneurial thinking placements, a structured, short-term paid opportunity with a startup or social venture that has partnered with Queen’s.

The program is specifically seeking to fill 45 hack-a-thons and 35 challenges, which must be completed by December 2021. A hack-a-thon is a one- to two-day event in which companies present students with real world challenges and ask them to provide innovative solutions. Challenges take place over several weeks and require students to build out more complete solutions to social, business, design, or community challenges.

“For Canada’s startups and social ventures, identifying the right talent—and the right mindset—is a priority,” says Christina Dinsmore, Associate Director, Experiential Learning. “This additional funding will open up the program to even more students with an eye on becoming future ready for careers. The new funding will also allow us to engage students from underrepresented groups such as women in STEM, visible minorities, Indigenous students and newcomers to Canada which is a key priority for the program.”

Organizations are responsible for identifying and providing a challenge they are currently facing, and the Experiential Learning team will recruit students that are eager to provide recommendations, either individually, or as part of a team. Employers will receive administrative support and guidance from the Experiential Learning team and be required to contribute resources of $400 per student (usually salary).

Learn more about the program on the Experience Ventures webpage.

Have an organizational project in mind? Send an expression of interest to asc.el@queensu.ca.