New Partnership Between Oak Tree Guelph and ICON Course Creates Experiential Learning Opportunities for Fall 2020 Students

This fall, a new partnership between Oak Tree Guelph and U of G’s ICON Course will offer students the opportunity to collaborate with a local charity, strengthen their teamwork and problem-solving skills, and respond to real-world challenges, all while earning course credit.

ICON is a hands-on, semester-long course that recruits U of G students of all levels and disciplines to work in teams to develop solutions to real-world challenges. Oak Tree Guelph is a charitable funding program that builds capacity in Guelph and Wellington charities. Over the summer, Oak Tree Guelph will review proposals from local charities for projects designed to strengthen the community following COVID-19. In the fall, three selected semi-finalist charities will be paired with ICON student teams to further develop their pitches. A winning team will earn $7500 to implement their project.

While both the ICON course and Oak Tree Guelph have been active for multiple years, this is the first time they have partnered to benefit students and the local community alike. CESI’s Community Engaged Teaching and Learning program played a key role in connecting the ICON course with Oak Tree Guelph, and will continue to support students’ work with charities in the fall.

The fall 2020 ICON course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. To enroll, contact Prof. Daniel Gillis or Prof. Shoshana Jacobs, or @IdeasCongress on Twitter.