Students gain insight into how their classroom learning applies out in the field
At the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), work-integrated learning (WIL) is a growing offering that enriches students’ learning experiences. WIL does this by building partnerships with local organizations which allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world settings.
JIBC’s current WIL initiatives include placements of law enforcement studies students at community policing offices and emergency management students at organizations where they help with emergency preparedness projects. These are in addition to mandatory practicum placements in training programs for paramedics and community care licensing officers.
One partnership that has been a natural fit is with Mediate BC. They support access to conflict resolution services, and currently partner as part of JIBC’s Certificate in Collaborative Conflict Resolution program. For the past year, the organization has hosted four JIBC students from the program, said Mediate BC’s executive director Sharon Sutherland.
“We try to match students to projects that meet their own interests and learning objectives as well as provide valuable support to our projects,” Sutherland said. “Students are paired with a staff member who meets with them once a week to answer questions that may come up and provide feedback and support for ongoing work.”
Supporting conflict resolution non-profit while learning
Projects have included researching and creating resource guides for separating families and for new mediators and conflict coaches starting a practice. JIBC WIL students have also helped coordinate a project exploring the skills, training, and knowledge needed for workplace mediation and researched niche practice areas to support another initiative.
“As a non-profit, we frequently have far more ideas for work than we can possibly carry out,” Sutherland said. “There are always additional ways that we could support conflict resolution practitioners and provide additional collaborative conflict resolution services to the public. Hosting JIBC WIL students allows us to identify discrete projects that advance public service in meaningful ways and also happen to match the students’ interests.”
JIBC conflict resolution students also learn how to engage with conflict in a constructive manner and practice these skills in coached role-plays in their classes, according to Amy Severson, a program manager in the Centre for Conflict Resolution. These students are particularly well-suited to support mediators or other conflict professionals when preparing for mediation or conflict conversations, research and analysis of conflicts reported to an ombudsperson, or other related tasks.
“Our students have a broad foundation in conflict resolution and are keen to make a difference in their communities,” Severson said.
Through the WIL placements, JIBC students gain professional contacts and see how the models and theory they learn in the classroom are practised out in the field.
“We have heard from students that the experience offers great learning around the conflict resolution landscape and that the opportunity has been the ‘missing link’ from classroom learning to practice,” Sutherland said.
WIL students are also a boon for community partners
“Community partners can get support for projects that would normally be off the side of someone’s desk, or would benefit from fresh eyes,” Severson said. WIL partnerships “can build mentorship skills within their organization and supports development of a new generation of conflict engagers.”
Sutherland noted that it’s common in the field of conflict resolution for practitioners to arrive with experience from other areas of their work and background, which can be incredibly valuable. A recent student was able to call on their background and skills to create a resource list for volunteer mediators to use when referring clients to other services in the justice sector.
“The WIL student used their research and analytical skills to gain a much deeper understanding of the conflict resolution field, thus bridging the learning from their JIBC courses and an appreciation of where they are situated in the justice ecosystem, as well as where they want to go,” Sutherland concluded.
For more information on work-integrated learning at JIBC, visit Work-Integrated Learning.
To learn more about becoming a community partner, contact wil@jibc.ca.