The Office of Experiential Learning is proud to lead by example, says employer engagement specialist Meagan Haugh.

“Any given term, the Offices of Career Development and Experiential Learning as well as Co-operative Education and Workplace Partnerships have students working in the Career Peer Advising program, the Ignite work-study program, on co-op work terms, and in part-time student roles,” she says. “Providing experiential learning opportunities to students is our purpose, and our practice.”

So it was a natural fit for the office to engage with students in professor Mike Stasko’s fourth-year course “Advanced Non-Fiction Media Production” to produce a series of short promotional videos.

“It’s a very hands-on class,” says Stasko, an instructor in the Department of Communication, Media and Film. “I have business and community groups come in during the first week of class and pitch the work they want done by our students. The students vie for the gig they want, and they set out to create a very high-quality product for their client by the end of the semester, under my supervision.”

As the client, Haugh gave the groups her vision for the different themes of each video and consulted throughout the creative process.

“We wanted the content to speak to students and thought — who better to tell the story?” she says.

Each group came up with unique and innovative ideas and then used their skills and talents to create original, comical and inspirational products. See the Office of Experiential Learning videos here.

Haugh encourages faculty and staff to consider working with Stasko’s students.

“It is a cost-effective, creative way to provide work-integrated learning opportunities and have some top-quality products completed,” she says.

The class will be offered again in January and Stasko already has a lineup of partners looking to work with his students. To partner on a project with his students, contact him at michael.stasko@uwindsor.ca.