Students across Atlantic Canada will have access to 185 opportunities to tackle real-world challenges with innovative businesses and organizations while building the problem-solving, collaboration, creativity and adaptability skills needed to thrive in a changing world.
For the third year, the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary's University is bringing 185 experiential learning opportunities, offering honorariums to students across Atlantic Canada through its continued partnership with Experience Ventures for the 2026–27 program year.
Powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary and funded in part through the Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative, Experience Ventures connects post-secondary students with businesses and organizations through hands-on learning experiences. Students apply their knowledge to real challenges, develop entrepreneurial thinking and contribute meaningful solutions while earning an honorarium.
The renewed partnership will expand opportunities for students at universities and colleges across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. At the same time, businesses gain access to talented students who bring fresh perspectives, creative ideas and new approaches to complex challenges.
Student Success
Experience Ventures gives students the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into practice through real-world projects with businesses and organizations.
For students like Subhan Nadeem, a Saint Mary’s student who took part in the Fall 2025 Project-Based Experience, the program provided an opportunity to apply his computer science knowledge to a real business challenge. During his placement, Subhan developed a tool for lead generation and email automation, using his knowledge of algorithms, APIs and AI systems to create a practical solution for a client.
A student presents at the Sustainable Retail Hackathon, an Experience Ventures event at Saint Mary’s in 2025
“The most impactful part of my Experience Ventures placement was developing an AI-driven solution for a business. It allowed me to combine my technical knowledge with real-world problem-solving, directly contributing to a client’s business growth.”
For Subhan, the impact extended beyond the placement itself. The hands-on experience strengthened his interest in technology development, AI and entrepreneurship, while giving him practical experience he can carry into his future career.
“I would gladly participate again. This experience helped me apply my technical skills to real business challenges … and gave me valuable hands-on experience for my future career.”
Stories like Subhan’s demonstrate the value of experiential learning: students gain more than experience for their resumes. They develop the confidence, adaptability, problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial mindset needed to navigate an evolving world of work.
The Impact of Experience Ventures
Experience Ventures continues to create meaningful connections between students, businesses and organizations across Atlantic Canada. Through hands-on projects and paid experiential learning opportunities, students gain practical experience while organizations benefit from fresh perspectives and new ideas.
Impact from 2024–26
Students engaged: 335
Businesses and organizations engaged: 84
Atlantic provinces served: 4
Honorariums awarded: $198,350
Student satisfaction: 96.4%
These results highlight the growing impact of experiential learning across the region and the strength of the partnerships that make these opportunities possible.
“The broad reach of the Experience Ventures program is only possible through the strength of our national partner network. We are delighted to have our regional lead school, Saint Mary's University, leading the expansion of our program across Atlantic Canada,” said Sarah Topps, Senior Director, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives (Acting), Experience Ventures.
Through its continued partnership with Experience Ventures, the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is helping bring these opportunities to more students across the region while strengthening connections between post-secondary institutions and the business community.
“Experience Ventures gives students the opportunity to move beyond the classroom and tackle real challenges alongside innovative businesses. These experiences help students build confidence, strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset and develop the skills employers value most: the ability to collaborate, adapt, take initiative and find creative solutions. We're excited to continue expanding these opportunities across Atlantic Canada,” said Michael Sanderson, Director, Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre.
Students participated in a Engineering Hackathon in partnership with Qalam Health Solutions in 2025
Learning by Doing
Experience Ventures is built around entrepreneurial thinking, identifying opportunities, approaching challenges creatively, taking initiative, collaborating with others and developing innovative solutions.
For students like Subhan, these experiences show how classroom concepts translate into solving real business problems. Working directly with organizations helps students navigate ambiguity, communicate across disciplines and apply their knowledge in practical settings.
These capabilities are increasingly valuable across every industry and help prepare students for their careers from day one.
Five Ways to Gain Experience
Students can participate in one of five experiential learning opportunities:
Hackathons – One- or two-day intensive events where teams solve real business and social innovation challenges.
Challenges – Multi-week interdisciplinary projects where students develop solutions for partner organizations.
Project Experiences – Part-time placements where students complete defined projects with businesses over up to 80 hours.
Student-in-Residence Placements – Opportunities to work with multiple businesses during a term, gaining diverse industry experience.
Interdisciplinary Team Projects – Collaborative placements where students from different academic backgrounds work together to solve complex business challenges.
The 2026–27 program includes 185 opportunities across these five streams. Recruitment began in the summer for Project Experiences, Interdisciplinary Team Projects and Student-in-Residence Placements, while Hackathons and Challenges will launch throughout the fall.
Why Businesses Participate
Experience Ventures helps organizations access talented students from a wide range of disciplines who bring curiosity, creativity and fresh perspectives to real business challenges.
By working alongside students, businesses can explore new ideas, advance projects and gain insight from the next generation of innovators, while helping shape the skills and experiences students need to succeed.
“We're not hiring students just yet, but if an opportunity arose, we would hire the intern who worked on our project. It's a great way to get to know someone in a professional capacity in a very low-risk environment,” said Kevin Buchan of Novastorms Data Analytics Inc.
For businesses, Experience Ventures is more than an opportunity to get support on a project. It provides a chance to build relationships with emerging talent, see students in action and discover potential future employees
Get Involved
Students and businesses interested in participating are encouraged to submit an interest form to receive updates on upcoming opportunities and application dates.
Eligible participants must be undergraduate students enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution and legally entitled to work in Canada. Students may participate in one Experience Ventures placement during the 2026–27 program year.
Through its continued partnership with the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre is creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities that empower students, strengthen businesses and foster entrepreneurial thinking across Atlantic Canada.