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The Living Learning Program consists of Residence Learning Communities and Learning Clusters, each having an intentional curriculum design. The program is designed to extend opportunities for learning and development beyond the classroom.
A Residence Learning Community (RLC) is a themed residence community where students live on the same floor and share a common interest, major or coursework.
Learning Clusters (LCs) provide students with the opportunity to engage in programming with others who share a common interest while living in a traditional residence community. Students participating in a Learning Cluster will be placed in the same residence building on different residence floors, participate in their own floor's programming, but have the added benefit of tailored programming based on the theme of their Learning Cluster.
RLC and LC residents need to be active members of the community who positively contribute to the growth and support of their peers. Each RLC and LC has specific admission requirements and criteria.
If you are interested in applying for one of the RLCs or LCs, you will need to complete the Residence Learning Communities/Clusters section within the online residence application, and answer the three questions.
Your completed residence application must be submitted by the June 2nd deadline.
Selections and placements will be completed in mid to late July. You will be notified by email if you are successful in receiving a space in an RLC or LC.
There is a cost of $40 due upon move-in for members of RLCs and LCs to cover the costs of learning experiences throughout the year.
Participants in Residence Learning Communities have the opportunity to earn Laurier Experience Record (LER) credit. In order to obtain LER credit, students must actively engage in the RLC, through attending learning experiences and programming hosted by residence learning community dons and by completing a reflection on the learning gained through this experience.
Do you want to see first-hand how you can use your business or economics degree after university?
Do you want to meet other students from your program and help each other succeed in first year?
Do you want to network and meet professors, alumni, and business leaders after hours in fun and casual settings?
As a Business & Economics RLC student, you’ll be immersed in a close-knit community that brings your learning from the classroom to the walls of residence so you can hit the ground running in today’s world. At Laurier, we like to say you don’t just get a business degree, you live a Laurier business degree. You are going to be tackling real-world problems, rubbing shoulders with awesome alumni and participating in training that will help you think critically! In this RLC you’ll be surrounded by people with the same interests, goals, drive, and excitement within the heart of Waterloo Region, down the street from one of the largest start-up ecosystems in Canada! Combine all those elements together and you have the perfect combination of people, experiences, and opportunity ahead of you. Not sure how to apply for Co-op or make a LinkedIn account? No, problem! Your RLC Don has you covered.
Are you a student interested in history, archaeology, literature, or how modern culture interprets and remembers the past?
Are you fascinated by ancient Greece and Rome? Did you grow up dreaming about the Middle Ages?
Are you interested in a planned travel course in Summer 2026 with your fellow RLC students?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then the Camelot Hall RLC is for you! This Residence Learning Community will provide learning beyond the classroom to students interested in the pre-modern world. Examples of learning experiences include: workshops with faculty partners, visiting local museums/archives, and more! Part of the Camelot Hall RLC is an optional travel course, ML288 (Roman Britannia and ‘Dark Ages’ Engelonde, 43-899) in spring 2026. After an extensive 4-week lecture series in Waterloo, students will take a 10-day guided study trip to visit key historical sites and museums in England.
Do you feel a desire to make a difference in the world and want to meet others who feel just as passionate as you are?
Do you want to learn the tools for changemaking so you are equipped to change the world for the better?
Have you been part of, or do you want to be part of, local community initiatives or projects that are working to affect change in your own city or our own Canadian backyard?
As a Changemakers RLC student, you’ll live within a community of invested, passionate, driven and creative innovators like yourself, who want to test the boundaries of the status quo, learn more about themselves, their passions, and potential contributions, and make a difference in the world around them. There is so much work to be done to tackle the world’s most complex problems such as climate change, poverty, disease, human rights violations, social and environmental justice, racism, hunger and famine, and more. We need people like you who feel compelled, or at the very least care about, what the future holds and want to be armed with the confidence and skills to create a sustainable future for us all.
Laurier is one of only seven AshokaU Changemaker campuses in Canada, meaning social innovation is a core value within our programs and our students. You’ll find community and civic engagement opportunities woven throughout the fabric of our university and the interests of our students, which start right away in the Changemakers RLC. Here, you can also contribute to Laurier’s culture of social innovation while being mentored by upper year students, professors, and start-up founders who happen to be Laurier alumni. Together, with the other changemakers on your floor, you’re not only going to learn what you need to do to be successful in university, but you’re going to be driven to change the world around you.
Do you want to solve complex problems, drive innovation, and improve lives through technology?
Do you want to meet other students from your program, learn how to write lab reports, have study buddies for exams, and help each other succeed in first year?
Do you want to network and meet professors, alumni and upper-year students in fun and casual settings?
In the Computer Science RLC, you’ll be exposed to great opportunities to foster career exploration. Whether you are focused on learning how to code and write algorithms that will help Google with their cyber security; engaging in unique networking opportunities; or looking for additional support with labs, the Computer Science RLC has you covered. You’ll benefit from being among other Computer Science students who are registered in many of the same courses and will build connections with peers outside of the classroom.
Are you a Faculty of Music major who is interested in exploring the ways your time at Laurier can prepare you for a career in music?
Do you want to live, study and have access to rehearsal space in the comfort of your own room?
Do you want to meet established musicians and alumni who have been in your shoes?
As a Faculty of Music RLC student, you’ll be steps away from the music building, surrounded by other musicians, creators and enthusiasts who love using music to share stories and experiences like you. Within this community, you’ll have the chance to meet real-world professionals who work in the music industry who can share their wisdom and skills, professors who can teach you the fundamentals, and upper-year mentors who love music as much as you do! Regardless of your long-term career goals in music, be it teaching, music therapy, composing, or something else, we’ll help you start out on the right foot. Your RLC Don will be an upper year music student who has experienced everything you’re about to go through (masterclasses, facilitation, recitals, theory tests) and has built connections that will get you where you want to go, with the support of a close-knit, fun and musically inclined community space.
Do you want to see first-hand how you can use your science degree beyond your undergrad?
Do you want to meet other students from your program, learn how to write lab reports, have study buddies for exams and help each other succeed in first year?
Do you want to network and meet professors, alumni and upper-year students after hours in fun and casual settings?
In the Faculty of Science RLC, you’ll be exposed to impactful research to foster career exploration and networking opportunities. Whether you’re a Psychology student who wants to learn how the mind works; or you’re a Health Sciences student who wants to go into medicine; this RLC is for you. You’ll benefit from being among other science students because you’ll be registered in similar courses throughout your first-year and will build connections with students outside of the classroom. In the Faculty of Science RLC, you’ll create connections with upper-year mentors, known as RLC Dons, who are also science majors and are trained to deliver programming that aligns with your coursework. Their job is to provide you with the stepping stones you need to excel in first-year and beyond.
Do you have a desire to be creative and want to try your hand at film-editing, acting and production?
Do you want to be in a community of like-minded people who share the same interests and passions for film, media creation and storytelling?
Do you love movies so much that award shows like the Oscars and Golden Globes are an annual event for you?
As a Film & Media RLC student, you’ll be immersed in a community of innovators and creative thinkers who are unified in their passion for the extraordinary impact of film and media. From viewings at the local Princess Cinema to intriguing independent film showings at the Apollo Theatre, the Waterloo Region and surrounding area are home to some of the best independent theatres and productions that will allow you to dive into your passion for film. You’ll get to travel to places, engage with the owners, and get a private tour to learn more about how these landmarks have become a part of Waterloo and the surrounding area. As an RLC student, you’ll build relationships with the professors who can get you into the world of film and media. From writing publications to directing films, this RLC is for you!
Are your long-term goals focused on going to medical school, dentistry or another healthcare profession but you’re not sure how to get there?
Do you love helping people and believe that a career in healthcare after university will feel meaningful?
Are you nervous about what first-year coursework will look like in university and you’re hoping you find a community of friends who will help you through?
As a Healthcare RLC student, you’re going to be exposed to what career possibilities exist in healthcare while working alongside all science students who are taking the same courses as you. The field of healthcare is much larger than one career pathway as a physician and we want to show you the opportunities ahead of you: Nursing, Chiropractic, Naturopathy, Paramedic, Health Administration, Research, Virology, and so much more. Your RLC don will be an upper year student with connections to the faculty and experience navigating the challenges of being a science student.
Are you passionate about history and eager to inspire the next generation of learners?
Would you like to spend your first year in an especially supportive residence environment with other students who share your enthusiasm for History and for teaching?
Would you like to engage with learning opportunities that will support you through your undergraduate journey and into the next steps in your career?
If you said “yes” to any of these questions, consider joining Laurier's History Teaching Residence Learning Community (RLC) and explore the past while shaping your future! You are eligible for this RLC as long as you are taking 2 History courses (1.0 credits) in your first year, have interest in becoming a history teacher, and are considering participating in the Specialization in History Teaching offered by the Department of History.
To join the History Teaching RLC you must:
Are you someone who is inspired by movement and more energized when you're active?
Do you have a fitness or wellness activity that drives everything you do, and you can't imagine your life without it?
Do you think it's important to hold space for a healthy body AND mind?
As a Recreation & Wellness RLC student, you are going to be surrounded by others who understand the importance of taking care of themselves through movement, exercise and mindfulness. How many times have you felt inspired after you hit a new personal record (PR) in the gym, felt the thrill of testing your limits in a new outdoor activity, or fell in love with movement through the practice of yoga and dance? Imagine feeling that emotion every day with the people you live with you.
In this community, you'll find people like you who want to better themselves physically and mentally through daily movement and practice. In partnership with our Athletics and Recreation department, this community will have full access to the resources and facilities available for future athletes, gym-goers, teammates, or those simply focused on maintaining a balanced lifestyle that will help them through first-year.
Are you in the Criminology program and interested in living in residence with other Criminology students?
Are you interested in topics such as the criminal justice system, homelessness advocacy, and mental health support?
Would you like to connect with the local Brantford community through a Residence Learning Community?
The Criminology Residence Learning Community (RLC) is a program-specific community offered to students in the Criminology program. The RLC works to offer learning experiences throughout the year that supplement learning in the classroom with engaging social and academic learning experiences in collaboration with faculty and campus partners. Students will get to work together throughout the year to build community and friendships, while taking advantage of the additional programming in the RLC dedicated to the world of crime, criminals, survivors and the law.
Are you interested in discovering your capacity as a leader while living in residence?
Are you passionate about developing your interpersonal skills and ability to work with people?
Are you looking to participate in a residence community that explores the importance of collaboration and inclusive leadership?
The LEAD (Learn, Engage, Develop and Act) Residence Learning Community is tailored to developing leadership skills in our first-year students, and encouraging them to discover what leadership means to them and how to apply these skills in residence, academics, and extracurriculars. Our practice-based learning model includes opportunities to participate in the First Year Leadership Program (FYLP) Leadership Certificate workshops, work with your peers to learn more about the resources on the Laurier Brantford campus and explore the value of inclusive leadership.
Are you the friend who likes to ‘design’ and make new things?
Do you want to be a community-builder in your residence and bring people together?
Do you want to design and create to make a positive difference?
As a first-year student in the Design Makers Learning Cluster, you will connect with peers over a shared passion for creation, innovation and design. Complimenting your coursework in the Game Design and Development or User Experience Design programs, you will explore different ways that games create excitement, can be used as educational tools, and build community. With the guidance of the Learning Cluster Advisor, an upper-year student in the Game Design and Development or User Experience Design programs, you will combine your interest in design, people, gaming and technology and learn how you can create positive experiences through the creation of products, services or the environment.
Are you an aspiring lawyer who's planning on studying law overseas through the Laurier-Sussex pathway?
Do you want an early start at getting to know the classmates who are planning on going abroad with you?
As a first-year student in the Laurier-Sussex Law Learning Cluster, you will meet classmates who are also interested in studying law overseas at the University of Sussex. In addition to getting to know one another, you will also hear from other students who are currently overseas and learn more about what the program is like from people who are participating themselves. With the guidance of the Learning Cluster Advisor, an upper-year Laurier-Sussex Law student, first-year students will develop strategies to develop confidence in case studies, assignments, midterms and final exams, and learn key strategies to be a successful pre-law student. Please note that being in this Laurier-Sussex Learning Cluster does not automatically enroll you in the Laurier-Sussex program.
Are you registered in the Bachelor of Social Work program at Laurier?
Are you passionate about human rights and social justice that empowers members of society?
The Social Work (BSW) Learning Cluster is a program-specific experience offered to Laurier-Brantford students enrolled in the BSW program and living in residence. With the guidance of the Learning Cluster Advisor, an upper-year BSW student, first-year students will work together throughout the year to build community, focus on the balance of academic and social programming, and connect students to campus and community resources. The Learning Cluster’s facilitated learning experiences are designed to inspire, challenge, and develop first-year students by providing tools for success in the program, and explore the practice-based learning of BSW, which includes the principles of human rights and social justice to empower members of society, particularly those who are disadvantaged by the social dynamics of class, race, gender, age, ability etc.