The Experiential Process - 
CUChange’s Approach to Learning

"Experiential education is a process through which a learner constructs knowledge, skill, and value from direct experiences." —Association for Experiential Education

We believe that the BEST environment for learning is created when people are actively involved and enjoy the process.

All of our programs use experiential activities to engage participants, enhance learning,
and develop working relationships.

We work with you to custom design a program that finds the perfect balance between fun, engaging activities, and useful content.

Important principles of experiential education practice:

• Throughout the experiential learning process, the participant is actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning.
• Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis.
• Experiences are structured to require the student to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for the results.
• Participants are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully, and/or physically. This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is authentic.
• The priority or order in which each professional places these principles may vary.
• The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and learning.
• Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others, and learner to the world at large.
• The educator recognizes and encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning.
• The educator and learner may experience success, failure, adventure, risk-taking, and uncertainty, since the outcomes of experience cannot be totally predicted.
• Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore and examine their own values.
• The educator's primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing problems, setting boundaries, supporting learners, insuring physical and emotional safety, and facilitating the learning process.
• Educators strive to be aware of their biases, judgments, and pre-conceptions and how they influence the learner
• The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes, and successes.

Source: Association for Experiential Education