Educators share how experiential learning is helping students succeed.

As an educator, your goal is to help students succeed. But in today’s uncertain economy, many students struggle to find jobs after graduation. That’s why leading academic institutions are embracing experiential learning and turning to trusted partners to help them quickly implement turnkey solutions.

For over a decade, Riipen has enabled more than 11,000 educators to integrate experiential learning into their courses. In this blog, we'll share why educators value this approach and how Riipen helps them effectively and efficiently implement it.

Real-world projects improve engagement, skills, and career readiness.

While traditional lectures, labs, and homework assignments are an effective way to introduce concepts to students, they are just the first step. For students to be able to apply what they’ve learned in the workplace, they need practical experience. Experiential or work-based learning (WBL) opportunities, including internships, co-op programs, and other short-term, real-world projects, gives them an opportunity to gain this experience.  

“Experiential learning mirrors the unpredictability of real work environments,” Dariush Daraee, Continuing Faculty, University Canada West, explained.  

Dr. Chunfu Jeff Cheng, Chair of Business Department, Community College of Aurora, and Riipen user agrees. He has seen firsthand how the approach helps students. “[It] significantly enhances engagement, skill development, and career readiness,” he shared. “When done thoughtfully, experiential learning can transform the classroom from a passive learning space into a dynamic launchpad for career and personal growth. It prepares students not just to graduate—but to thrive.”

Experiential learning benefits students in all majors.

Today’s experiential learning opportunities extend far beyond the stereotypical finance internship at a Fortune 500 company. While programs still exist for students interested in these careers, there are many options in other subject areas and with different types of organizations.  

That was true for Vicki Baker, an Associate Dean at Albion College, who was looking for an experiential learning opportunity to give her students hands-on experience in human resources. Using Riipen’s experiential learning platform, she matched her students with a non-profit organization. 

“My students were able to focus on, and learn more about, a critical HR function: onboarding,” she said. “Working with the leadership at EmpowerHERTo enabled students to learn about the non-profit world, the importance of volunteers in supporting mission and vision, and how to be strategic while supporting this critical stakeholder group. Additionally, the importance of professional skill development, such as communication and clarity in client needs, was also achieved.”

The key was working with a partner like Riipen, which has a vast network of employers looking for talented students. Based on a recent survey, 91% of educators who used Riipen were satisfied with the relevance and quality of the projects in meeting their course learning objectives. Julia Ayim, Industry Liaison at McGill University, elaborated, “Riipen helped us find organizations that aligned with what we were looking for to support our students' experiential learning and development.” 

Riipen takes care of logistics so educators can focus on impact.

While launching and managing a work-based learning program can seem overwhelming, trusted partners like Riipen can help with the logistics. With an existing network of over 40K employers, a platform that matches desired educator experiences with real-world projects, and centralized project management and communication tools, it offers a turnkey solution for experiential learning.

Mark Butland, Dean of Learning and Instruction, Calbright College, turned to Riipen to help set-up their work-based learning program. “Riipen has been an excellent partner,” he shared. “They listen and help create a winning solution for your needs and budget. And then they deliver. In our case, we lacked internal human resources to staff this kind of undertaking. Riipen created a full-service solution that has helped us quickly have projects up and running.”

Visit Riipen’s website to learn more about our platform. And when you’re ready to start helping students with experiential learning, book a demo to see how easy it is to get started!

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