The Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) at Messiah University
All undergraduate students participate in an approved experiential learning activity that supports their professional development and compels them to reflect on the meaning of community. We define Experiential Learning as occurring when students engage in a guided process where they are challenged to learn, apply and integrate knowledge and skills in an authentic context.
What Makes ELI Distinctive?
There is a common reflection component that gets at the primary outcomes of career development and community engagement. As a result of engaging in the ELI, students will be able to articulate the tangible impact of their experience on their academic learning, personal and professional development, and community contributions. This will occur through a "career application" that is contextualized for an external audience relevant to the students' future goals (employer, graduate school, etc.). Sample career applications include a resume, ePortfolio, personal website, and LinkedIn profile.
Students must complete at least one of the following approved experiential learning opportunities to fulfill their ELI requirement:
All credit-bearing internships that are supervised through the centralized聽Internship Program聽in the Career & Professional Development Center may聽fulfill a student鈥檚 ELI requirement.听 Academic departments interested in offering聽practica as聽ELI must submit an聽.
Faculty interested in offering聽a service learning course must complete the聽.听 By registering for a service learning course, a student may fulfill the ELI requirement. Students who are interested in fulfilling their ELI through cocurricular service-learning (separate from a course) should complete this brief . Questions? Contact the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement.
All semester-long programs, as well as cross-cultural courses that are managed through聽the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement,聽may fulfill a student鈥檚 ELI requirement.
There is a diverse array of聽leadership positions at Messiah University that are eligible for meeting a student's ELI requirement. 聽These positions are available wtih areas such as Residence Life, Campus聽Ministries, Multicultural Programs, Student Government, Student Activities Board, Career & Professional Development Center, Admissions Ambassadors, Sustainability, Office of Student Engagement, The Agape Center, The Pulse,聽and more. 聽For information on pre-approved positions, contact Jake Edmunds, Director of First Year Experience & Leadership Development. For educators who want to propose a聽position for ELI leadership consideration, please complete the .
Students must communicate to their supervising faculty member their interest in having their research project fulfill the ELI requirement.听 Faculty who are interested in聽supervising聽an ELI-approved research experience must complete聽the聽.听