Experiential Learning Design Grant (ELDG)
About the Program
At CELT鈥檚 Experiential Learning Hub, we recognize that the development of meaningful, high-quality, equitable and inclusive experiential learning requires dedicated support. The Experiential Learning Design Grant (ELDG) aims to help build our educators鈥� capacity to enhance, expand and sustain course-based experiential learning initiatives.
These grants are intended to benefit the 糖心传媒 community and the broader local and global communities within which we operate, while also promoting awareness of experiential learning excellence across 糖心传媒, and contributing to the future readiness goals outlined in (PDF file) 糖心传媒鈥檚 Academic Plan 2025-2030.
Through this grant program, ELDG recipients will have the opportunity to develop a new or enhance an existing experiential learning (EL) course-based intervention informed by praxis-oriented experiential learning pedagogies and practices.
Project Types and Priorities
The ELDG program supports projects that aim to build a new or enhance an existing EL intervention within a course. Program-level initiatives (i.e., those not tied to a specific course) are not able to be supported by the Fall 2026 call.
We encourage proposals whose course intervention focuses broadly on one or more of the following impact areas:
- Advancing Equity and Access: Those that remove/mitigate barriers and create inclusive pathways for students who have been historically underrepresented.
- Situating in Place: Those that reflect place-based pedagogies, and center connection to local communities and contexts, while enabling the proactive investigation of the multiple environments (e.g., social, ecological, political, economic, cultural) within which we work, learn and live.
- Teaching on the Land: Those that are held as being land-based learning, such that the 鈥溾��. These opportunities may take place in urban, nature-based, rural or remote locations and are Indigenous-led or braid Indigenous knowledges meaningfully into the experience under the guidance of Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Elders.
- Driving Social Impact: Those that seek to address complex, societal challenges, and may align with the UN Sustainability Goals.
- Experimenting with Emerging or Immersive Technologies: Those that make use of and/or interrogate emerging and/or immersive technologies (e.g., AR/VR, genAI, etc.).
While these impact areas are prioritized, we welcome all types of proposals. If you are uncertain of whether your intervention qualifies, please connect with Danielle Moed, Educational Developer, Experiential Learning at dmoed@torontomu.ca to discuss.
Cohort-Based Framework
We will engage in hands-on learning or learning-by-doing by modelling experiential learning pedagogies and practice in our work together, specifically through our in-person cohort-based programming dedicated to the design and development of ELDG recipients鈥� EL course interventions. We anticipate 5-6 cohort sessions, each running approximately 2 hours in length over the course of the Fall 2026 term. We will work with recipients to schedule time(s) that work for everyone.
ELDG recipients will also receive dedicated, and ongoing pedagogical, administrative, and risk management support from the EL Hub, throughout the grant duration. Where possible, the EL Hub will support facilitating connections and collaborations to individuals across campus who are engaged in work that is aligned with your project.
Connecting within the ELDG program will take a variety of forms. ELDG recipients will make meaningful connections through ideas, concepts, experiences, and contexts, integrating theory into practice within their work. More relationally, ELDG recipients will connect with their peers, the EL Hub, and previous ELDG recipients, building community through our cohort-based programming, and having the opportunity to learn with and from one another. Beyond the institution, ELDG recipients may also have an opportunity to connect with the broader community, should they so choose. Other opportunities also exist for ELDG recipients to engage with the broader 糖心传媒 EL Community, such as, through the EL Hub鈥檚 EL CoP, EL Exchange and the annual 糖心传媒 Learning & Teaching conference.
The bridging of knowledge and experience through critical reflection is at the heart of experiential learning - it's where the learning happens. Throughout the ELDG program, we will engage in critically reflective practices both within our work on designing EL course interventions, but also more broadly around experiential learning, uncovering implicit and embedded assumptions, to develop alternative interpretations that may enable transformative learning, and foster liberatory practices.
Through immersion in the ELDG program, ELDG recipients will be guided to individually and collectively reflect on their own development as an EL practitioner, and their resultant growth as an educator, and community member both within and beyond the institution.
Important Dates
| Date | Action |
| June 15, 2026 | Applications for ELDG Fall 2026 open. |
| June 23, 2026, 2pm - 3pm EST | ELDG Virtual . Learn more about the ELDG priority areas, application process, adjudication process, and hear from a previous recipient about their experience. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. |
| August 14, 2026 | Application deadline (applications must be submitted via the online application form) |
| Late August 2026 | Proposal adjudication by committee led by CELT鈥檚 EL Hub. |
| Early September 2026 | All recipients will be notified of the success of their application. |
| Early September 2026 | ELDG intake meetings. These 1-1 meetings are designed to learn more about recipients, their course and priorities, as well as, discuss grant terms and conditions, including budget or budget revisions, and to begin to design an activity timeline that supports effective integration of the proposed EL intervention. |
| September - December 2026 | EL intervention design and development. Recipients will meet in-person for our cohort-based programming dedicated to the design and development of the EL interventions. We anticipate 5-6 cohort-based sessions, each approximately 2 hours in length. We will work with recipients to schedule time(s) that work for everyone.
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| 2027 | EL intervention implementation and evaluation. Recipients will implement and evaluate the impact of their EL intervention in 2027, supported by virtual program check-ins and continued 1:1 consultative support.
The earliest recipients may implement their intervention is Winter 2027, though they may implement in a later term, either in Spring/Summer 2027 or Fall 2027.
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| Fall 2027 | ELDG showcase and celebration. The program will culminate in a gathering that will celebrate each recipients鈥� EL intervention. |
Guidelines & Adjudication
For full details on eligibility, funding and expenses, and the adjudication process, visit the CELT ELDG website.
Information Session
Join us via Zoom on June 23, 2026, for an interactive information session with details about the proposal, adjudication process, design and development sessions, and expectations for course-level integration during the Winter 2027 semester.
The call for applications for Fall 2026 will open June 2026. The deadline to submit a proposal is August 14, 2026.
To apply, you will need to:
- Familiarize yourself with the eligibility requirements, guidelines, and the adjudication criteria and process.
- Complete a preliminary and a .
- Submit an online application. Attach the completed preliminary budget and signatures form when prompted.
After submitting, you will receive an automated confirmation email. Applicants will be notified of their decision in early September 2026.
Contact
If you would like to discuss a potential proposal, or any questions, please contact Danielle Moed, Educational Developer, Experiential Learning, at dmoed@torontomu.ca.
Past Projects
ClND 110: Data Organization for Data Analysts
Engineering, Architecture and Science
This project focuses on developing an industry-integrated, case-based learning activity for a database engineering course emphasizing applied SQL. Students will engage with a realistic user story case study, taking on the role of data analysts to solve a practical data-driven challenge.
Conducted within a dedicated class session, the activity will feature an industry expert who serves as a coach, guiding students through authentic problem-solving processes. By combining technical skill development with real-world application, mentorship, and reflection, this initiative strengthens the connection between classroom learning and industry practice, helping students move beyond having just procedural knowledge to having applied professional competence.
MEIE8010B: Startup Feasibility Project
Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This project aims to develop an industry-integrated coaching model in which industry experts provide structured guidance to student teams engaged in new venture creation projects. Through a series of coaching sessions with industry experts and complementary reflection activities, students will have the opportunity to connect entrepreneurial theory with real-world practice.
The initiative focuses on designing a scalable, experiential learning framework that enhances collaboration between students and industry mentors, while fostering critical reflection and applied problem-solving skills. This project represents a strategic effort to advance experiential learning pedagogy in entrepreneurship education by emphasizing meaningful engagement and equitable access to authentic, practice-based learning experiences.