Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grants 2025

The IDEAS Collaboratory creates authentic interdisciplinary experiences that prepare students for emerging careers at the intersection of art, science and leadership across career fields. The program is designed to immerse students in a unique blend of art and science, fostering innovative thinking and professional growth. Phase 2 of the IDEAS Collaboratory will work to further empower students as decision-makers and engage in collaborative research in a newly dedicated physical space, with enhanced teaching opportunities and support, supplies for collaborative projects and support for guest speakers and local field experiences. 

An Evaluation Practicum, as a form of Experience-Driven Learning, has been available to a small number of students over the past few decades. This grant project will expand these opportunities year-round and expand services and support provided by our graduate students to also include measurement, qualitative research and quantitative research. This project aims to strengthen evaluation and social science research capacity and productivity at WMU. The EMR Practicum will also work to improve relations with—and strengthen—communities across Southwest Michigan by providing pro bono evaluation and research services for community-based nonprofits that serve historically underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged populations.

Paid Internships for Future Teachers expands on the 2024 Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant, which provided paid pre-internship opportunities for Grow Your Own (GYO) students through summer school programs across Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. This year’s project will provide additional summer school experiences for GYO students, extend participation to additional populations through partnerships with TRIO and Future Teachers of Color and partner with the WMU INSPIRE Program to offer out-of-classroom experiences working with elementary children and their families.

Setting the Stage offers WMU undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to engage in a critical arts-based Experience-Driven Learning project focused on the tenets of TO. Students may enroll in a College of Education and Human Development special topics course focused on seven weeks of TO theory and another seven weeks of TO practice that allows students to partner with campus and community organizations to facilitate training for the successful implementation of TO strategies aligned with the organization’s social or political change agenda. Students will also have the opportunity to pilot and participate in the inception of WMU’s TO Troupe, a student and faculty organization that can provide free or paid services to community organizations for TO performances, workshops and professional development.

Kinetic imaging at Western’s Gwen Frostic School of Art offers bachelor’s degrees with tracks in animation, game art and video art. With the first cohort of kinetic imaging students set to graduate in 2026, this project will focus on empowering them with career-ready, hands-on experience through partnerships with community organizations, including WMU-Grand Rapids for ArtPrize 2025 and the Prairie Ronde Artists Residency. Through these experiences, students will gain advanced technical proficiency in cutting-edge technologies such as AR/VR, 3D modeling and multimedia art. Professional readiness will be developed through internships and real-world projects, equipping students with practical skills in gallery management, curatorial practices and arts administration.

As demand for affordable and sustainable housing continues to rise, the initiative responds to an urgent need for new strategies that reduce environmental impact and enhance livability. Through collaborative design exploration and technical proposals, Western students will develop a fully integrated net-zero-energy housing prototype, addressing key issues such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing cost-effective construction methods and bridging the gap between design research and real-world application. The project also serves as the foundation for NewFormat, a new research-based design studio through which participating students are employed and mentored. This structure allows students to gain hands-on experience in design innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based problem-solving, equipping them with the expertise needed to lead in the evolving field of sustainable design.

You Belong Here: Inclusive Care for All is a unique event, both in Michigan and across the nation, as an annual, student-led initiative that provides comprehensive health assessments and recommendations without the need for prescription, medical necessity or insurance. By leveraging the expertise of established community partners, this project provides a unique experiential learning opportunity for students, bridging the gap between theory and practice while delivering accessible health services to the public.