York University criminology student Alessia Terrazzano must drive an hour each way to her field placement at a halfway house. That’s a drive she might not have been able to make had she not qualified for a CEWIL (Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning) Canada grant.
“The ($871) grant has helped me cover the gas, which is really helpful. It's not a short drive, and gas is expensive,” said the fourth-year student who commutes from Newmarket to Brampton for her placement. “I am very grateful for the grant," she continued, adding it has made the commute easier.
CEWIL Canada partners with post-secondary institutions to champion work-integrated learning, a way for students to complement their academic studies with workplace experience. Since 2023, the organization has provided $187,289 in grants to York University, making it possible for students to participate in experiential education.
Shree Brown, a fourth-year student criminology student, also received a CEWIL grant of $871 to support her work studying the chronic underfunding of sexual assault centres.
The grant “came at the right time,” said Brown, who is writing a research paper on this work. Brown added that although the work can take an emotional toll, the placement is helping her grow and she believes some good may come from the research.
York’s criminology placement course, AP/CRIM 4667, taught by professors Jessica Braimoh and Tuulia Law, received a total grant of $19,496 to assist students like Terrazzano and Brown.
Neil Buckley, associate dean, teaching and learning, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), welcomes intiatives where students do not have to think twice about signing up for a placement course.
“This is an exciting shift away from where academics were 50 years ago when most of the learning occurred in the classroom,” he said. “This better prepares our students for the work world ... while also solving a problem for our students." Without the support from CEWIL, he Buckley added, some students would miss out on these courses and these valuable experiences.
“The focus on experiential education has become more important over time," said Buckley. "The CEWIL grants are helping provide that final step in education to prepare students to bring what they've learned into the work world.”
Along with the grant for criminology placements, York received $30,746 awarded to Lisa Davidson, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. Davidson’s students will participate in a work-integrated learning (WIL) project, Data-Driven Ethnographic Storytelling, in partnership with the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
A grant of $12,047 was awarded to Saskia Van Viegan, an associate professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics enabling Van Viegan’s students to focus on gaining teaching competencies and supporting student progress during TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) field placements.
The largest grant for York, at $125,000, is earmarked for experiential education, with 100 per cent of funds directly benefitting students. Karlene Case, associate director of Experiential Education Office, oversees that grant.
“As an institution, our goal is to provide meaningful experiential education opportunities for our students to apply the skills they’re learning in the classroom,” said Case, who herself is a first-generation alum. “We recognize the diverse demographics of our student population, including many who identify as first generation, a member of a minority community, or who come from low-income households. Supporting our students through initiatives such as financial grants for unpaid placements is a significant step toward advancing equity and access to these transformative learning experiences.”
The list of placement courses eligible for this CEWIL Canada grant includes Children, Childhood & Youth, Disaster & Emergency Management, Work & Labour, Communications & Media Studies, Business & Society, Human Rights & Equity Studies, Urban Studies and International Development Studies. LA&PS currently offers 19 undergraduate placement courses across 14 programs with plans of expanding this year.
“This is how students gain experience – they can put this on their resumes, ensuring they leave York University with a great degree and practical, relevant experience in their field. Students can confidently articulate both transferable skills and industry-specific skills they've learned in the workplace after graduation,” Case said. “Work-integrated learning is a very direct, intentional opportunity for them to work in an organization, practice skills, complete their required hours and get exposure to how theory they're learning in the classroom really applies in the field, while contributing to meaningful projects with our placement site learning partners.”
With files from Julie Carl