Arts Global Experience

Since its inception, Global Studies has been providing experiential learning opportunities that align with our curriculum and offer students a chance to put their academic learning into practice. Whether conducted locally or abroad, volunteer service-learning placements and internships have been an important place for Global Studies students to develop new skills and build connections that help them bridge from their studies into career pathways.

Other Arts students have also frequently benefitted from the opportunities we provide, and the Arts Global Experience was our effort to provide a cohesive learning opportunity that was open to students across different majors. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, student demand for experiential learning has changed. Fewer students have expressed the confidence to jump into service-learning abroad. Perhaps more crucially, issues of affordability have made it harder for students to carve out the time for placement-based experiences. These factors are combined with increasing global insecurity. Due to reduced demand, the AGX is currently not being offered. We are deliberating over how to make experiential learning opportunities available to our students in our changing times. One course-based example of this is GS/SE364, Social Innovation in the City.

During this hiaitus, we are still offering a key international service-learning opportunity: the Laurier-Ghana internships, funded by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship. We are one of the lead departments of this initiative, which will send over 20 students to internships in Ghana over the next three years as part of a partnership with the University of Ghana. Global Studies students will be among the 2026 cohort, and we hope to see continued participation from our students in future years. Contact agxadvisor@wlu.ca for more information.