Ability NB Recognizes STUdents and STU Experiential Learning with Volunteer Award of Excellence
STUdents and STU’s Office of Experiential Learning & Career Development are this year’s recipients of Ability NB’s annual Volunteer Award of Excellence. The award celebrates the outstanding positive impact STUdents have been able to have in the larger community thanks to opportunities provided by staff in Experiential Learning.
STU has built a strong partnership with Ability NB, which is a provincial non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the independence and full community participation of individuals with mobility disabilities in New Brunswick.
Through the university’s STU Cares Day of Action, students have helped the team at Ability NB with maintenance and repair of adapted sport equipment, such as hockey sledges and multisport wheelchairs.
Alexa Navas, STU’s Experiential Learning Programs Coordinator, says the award shows the importance of providing avenues for students to engage meaningfully with the community.
“In their post-event reflections, students often describe their volunteer experiences as an insightful way to connect their in-classroom learning with the reality of the social environment in the community at large,” Navas said. “The award is a symbol of the reciprocity of that positive sentiment.”