Co-op and Experiential Education

Hana Karim, a first-year Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Waterloo, is passionate about improving maternal health for low-income communities and underprivileged women. She chose her program because of the opportunities for her to develop technology to solve social problems – integrating her love for history and social causes with her love of STEM.

In 2023, the University of Waterloo Co-op Students of the Year made significant impacts including designing a new Ontario food security program, analyzing a waste collection calendar and creating a quality-of-life tool for at-risk patients.  

"Our students continue to make a tangible difference during their work terms," said Norah McRae, associate provost of Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE). "Their dedication to utilizing their work-integrated learning opportunities is inspiring. I eagerly anticipate the impact they'll continue to bring to the workforce." 

In a bid to support the improvement of health care in Canada, WatSPEED, the University of Waterloo’s professional and executive education division is launching a cutting-edge program — Leveraging AI to Improve Health Care in Canada.

Starting in May 2024, this program will equip senior leaders and executives with the knowledge and tools necessary to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for enhancing patient outcomes and organizational success.

A research team led by Dr. Richard Kelly, a professor in Geography and Environmental Management at Waterloo, uses a novel radar-based technology to provide more insight into snowpacks and their implications for climate change, water resource management and hazard prediction.

Snowpacks form in cold regions and high elevations, accumulating due to layers upon layers of snow. As they melt, snowpacks serve as vital water resources — feeding streams, rivers and reservoirs.

Most people don’t leave the cinema commenting on the picture’s colour contrast, saturation and brightness levels. Yet, the look of the movie can influence our enjoyment of it, and how well it does on the cinema circuit.  

University of Waterloo alum Mike Perkins (BASc, '90), a principal product developer at local audio-visual solutions company Christie, led the development of a digital projector that takes movie-watching to a whole new level — illuminating the theatre screen with darker darks, brighter brights and colours not seen before in the cinema.  

In 2020, the negative impact of the global pandemic was particularly challenging for co-op students in their first work term. In response, Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) developed the award-winning Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate program to help some of the most vulnerable co-op students gain industry-driven skills and real-world experience.

Emelia Assigbey, a fourth-year Health Studies student, has had many aspirations that she’s wanted to explore. She envisions a future in public health, driven by the goal of ensuring equitable and accessible health care. But she also loves the idea of planning and attending events that celebrate life, different cultures and happiness.  

With AI’s transformational impact on the business landscape, senior leaders need to stay ahead of the curve and understand AI wholistically to capitalize on its promise and effectively navigate its implications. To help executives fully harness the power of AI, WatSPEED has launched a first-of-its-kind program: AI and Business Strategy. 

Co-operative and Experiential Education at the University of Waterloo is building on their strengths in talent development and advanced research to equip and power learners for the future of work and lifelong learning.

Their latest innovations are engaging a new "midlife evolver" audience in work-integrated learning. An evolver is someone who may be considering or navigating a transition from a primary career and curious to explore what's next.

The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering Outreach program STEMpowered provides Black youth with opportunities to engage in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities to inspire their interest in exploring further studies and careers in STEM. In just one year, the program has increased its reach by 680 per cent.