The Duke Endowment Gift: Building Experiential Learning

Working at the campus farm during experiential orientation; students filming the death of a glacier in Iceland; and students in the Xprize competition

From forestry students planting and studying young trees to engineering students building new problem-solving tools, experiential learning has long been an important part of a Duke education.

In 2023, it’s now become a core element of the Duke experience for undergraduates in fields across the university. Humanities students are using experiential learning in foreign language classes. Public policy and social sciences students have greater opportunities than ever to put their learning to use in the community.

And all this effort is about to get stronger because of The Duke Endowment’s $100 million gift, part of which is designated to expand community-based work study and experiential learning opportunities for more undergraduate students each year.

The Duke Endowment Award

$100 million gift is largest in university history

Link

Duke students regularly report that experiential learning provides some of the most memorable moments of their Duke education, whether it’s bridge building in a foreign country or doing heat mapping in Durham.

“I tell my friends, ‘Your educational journey is not one size fits all.’ Experiential learning underlines that in a positive way,” said Isaiah Hamilton, president of Duke Student Government, who this past summer did study abroad in Costa Rica. He spoke at the recent ceremony announcing The Duke Endowment gift.

Hamilton said much of his intellectual development while at Duke “has taken place outside of the classroom.”

“These opportunities provide a safe space for students to be their authentic selves and dive into what excites them,” he said.

The value of experiential learning is such that Duke’s orientation program is now centered around learning activities to help them connect with other students, learn about their new Durham community and take a first dip into developing their academic interests.

Read six stories about the positive impact experiential learning had on Duke students.