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The Transformative Impact of Experiential Learning
Alumni, students and faculty discussed the transformative impact of international experiential learning opportunities at the Experiential Learning Showcase held in March. The panel included Kaygen Dache, student; Kristen Jeanveau ’21; Gillian LaBelle, student; Natan Penner Andrade ’22; Mackenzie White ’21; Dr. Graham Broad, Associate Professor of History, and Dr. Thomas Tieku, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations.
Panelists spoke about their field courses in Ghana, Ethiopia, Italy, Belgium and France, reflecting on how these experiences transform lives, foster leadership, and empower changemakers.
“There is a power of place that allows our students to engage with contested landscapes of history and memory,” says Dr. Broad, whose World Wars in History, Memory, and Reconciliation class travelled to Belgium and France in 2022 to visit historic sites, including Dieppe, Juno Beach and Flanders Fields. Student research conducted in the course was displayed at the Juno Beach Centre in France in 2023 in an exhibit entitled “From Dieppe to Juno: Exceptional Destinies.” Copies of panels from the Juno Beach Centre exhibit were on display during the event.
“The experiences you gain on an experiential learning trip far exceed what can be taught in a textbook," says Jeanveau.
Echoing her sentiments, Penner Andrade adds, “Learning comes alive when you’re in the field. My trip changed the trajectory of my life. I’m pursuing opportunities I never could have imagined.”
Third-year student Kaygen Dache shared a highlight of his trip to Ghana was meeting with Ghana’s Chief of Staff, which provided invaluable insights into the country’s policy-making processes. “The trip allowed me to experience the theoretical concepts we discussed in the classroom in a real-world context while learning about diverse cultures and gaining new perspectives,” says Dache. “For students considering an experiential learning trip, my advice is ‘embrace the challenge!’”
The event also included poster presentations of research conducted from the 2020 Ethiopia Field School and the release of a new video featuring research-facing international experiential learning opportunities at King’s, which can be viewed on the King’s YouTube channel.
