Dhillon School of Business students benefit local non-profit as part of experiential learning project

trevor.kenney — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:10:32 +0000

The Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association is getting a helping hand from students at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College.

The No Horsin’ Around Culinary Cook-Off is a collaborative event initiated by the Integrated Management Experience (IME) program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Dhillon School of Business and second-year culinary students at Lethbridge College. All proceeds from the event will benefit programming at the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association.

“What a fantastic opportunity to bring students from two separate post-secondary institutions together for one cause; supporting The Lethbridge Therapeutic Association and the work they do with disabled children in the community,” says Mike Madore, IME program director. “Experiential learning and social responsibility are important aspects of the educational experience and through this initiative, students get to apply the theory they’ve learned in the classroom to a real-life experience that benefits the community.”

The evening, which begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 6, 2018 in Lethbridge College’s Garden Court, features a four-course meal prepared by second-year Lethbridge College culinary students. Guests will also have the opportunity to vote on competing appetizers and then participate in a silent auction. Tickets, priced at $100 each, are available now through Apr. 3 by visiting http://www.ulethime.com/.

Each year, students enrolled in IME at the Dhillon School of Business get the opportunity to use the theoretical aspects they learn in class to solve a business problem for a local charity by developing and executing a fundraising event. A total of 17 students are working together on the No Horsin’ Around Culinary Cook-Off, coordinating the project through management, marketing, finance and logistics teams.

"The IME program has taught me a lot about multitasking, group work and constantly communicating with internal and external stakeholders,” says Kaleigh Watson, part of the IME group’s marketing team. “I've learned so much about how I work within a team and how to adjust for different work styles.”

Watson adds she is excited about what the event will do for the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Society.

“I'm looking forward to seeing all of our hard work pay off, to see our event come together and the impact of our efforts. It's truly been an experience of learning core management skills through meaningful application.”

Since its inception in 2000, students in the IME program have raised more than $200,000 towards community initiatives.

Global Citizenship Cohort demonstrates diverse interests

caroline.zentner — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 19:38:31 +0000

Students in this year’s Arts and Science Global Citizenship Cohort stepped up to help out. Their projects included everything from volunteering at the Soup Kitchen to getting involved in the Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) and signing a water charter.

“The theme for the Cohort was water, sustainability and social justice,” says Dr. Shelly Wismath, co-ordinator for the Global Citizenship Program and instructor for the Cohort’s seminar course, Lib Ed 2150. “They got to pick their project for the course. We had some environmental science majors who were keen on water issues. Others in the humanities and social sciences were really interested in social justice issues. They all got really got engaged and they bonded, too. One of the main goals of the cohort was to provide first-year students with this built-in support group from day one.”

One group created rain barrels for the Campus Roots Community Garden and another worked with the YWCA on an event called Attire to Inspire, which provides grad dresses to women who can’t afford the cost of a new dress. They also volunteered at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen, preparing and serving food.

As part of their class project, Adebowale (Debo) Adeneye, at left, and Paris Ellis talked about volunteering with Attire to Inspire. The YWCA program provides grad dresses to high school girls without an outfit for their big day.

Paris Ellis and her group were inspired by a speaker from the OWC. They met with the OWC, signed the Southern Alberta Water Charter 2017 and volunteered to survey the state of the Oldman River near Taber and take water samples to be tested for bacteria and pesticides. Ellis says the Cohort and project helped students connect.

“I definitely think it brought a lot of us together. The friends that I did my project with, four of us have the same major and we all have pretty much the same classes. It was nice because you could walk into class and know people,” says Ellis. “It was a lot of fun.”

Another group wanted to reduce the number of plastic water bottles being bought. Their project involved getting a water dispenser for refillable bottles in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. They raised enough funds to buy the dispenser, which should be installed in Section C on the 6th floor stairwell sometime this summer.

Other student projects involved: calculating a water footprint; conducting a food audit comparing the cost and nutrition of food bought at Urban Market and at a grocery store; volunteering at an assisted-living facility; and volunteering with the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association. Some students elected to write papers or create posters and they tackled subjects like social issues facing Aboriginal people in Canada and the threat of further development in the Jumbo Valley near Invermere.

For his project, Andrew Buckman delved into the reasons why people give to charities and how some charities operate.

“A lot of people are doing it just for show and they don’t have a practical way of accomplishing things. They want to make a difference but they don’t really know how to do it,” he says. “Others just add titles behind their names by joining a lot of things but it’s impossible to really be involved in everything.”

UNews - Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association

Dhillon School of Business students benefit local non-profit as part of experiential learning project

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Global Citizenship Cohort demonstrates diverse interests

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