Projects, challenges & other opportunities

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Engagements come in many shapes and sizes

At RRU, students participate in several short-term projects to gain practical experience advancing business and community organizations. 

Let's build together

Experiential learning creates an opportunity for employers and community partners to engage with students in activities, projects and challenges. By engaging with a student at RRU in this capacity, you'll gain new expertise and perspectives, and carve future pathways for learners - and your organization.

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What can a project or challenged-based engagement look like?

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Making solar energy alternatives more attractive 

In Winter 2022, RRU partnered with Victoria-based clean-tech start-up, Solaires Entreprises Inc, an environmentally committed company striving to provide the next-generation clean energy solutions with the smallest possible environmental footprint. RRU's 21/22 BBA in Innovation and Sustainability Cohort supported the company to conduct part of a life cycle analysis on their innovative solar cell technology. 
  
Teams of students evaluated the Solaires product's utilization and end-of-life processes in this partnership. Through this process, the BBA students identified environmentally harmonious alternatives for Solaires' consideration as they continue to advance their novel photovoltaic technology.

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Imaging the future of arts and culture in Langford 

In the Winter of 2022, RRU partnered with the City of Langford to explore how Langford might build a vibrant arts and culture community for residents and visitors. RRU's '21/22 BBA in Innovation and Sustainability Cohort coordinated with the City of Langford to utilize a design thinking process that generated big ideas for Langford City Council.

With a strong emphasis on prototyping alternatives that align with the needs of residents, students worked through a design thinking process that involved gathering primary data and researching the local Langford arts and culture scene, all in an effort to better understand the needs and desires of Langford residents.  All of this work culminated in a number of rounds of prototyping and testing with residents, before presenting refined ideas to the City of Langford in early April to consider for future community initiatives.
 

This project was completed as part of CityStudio South Island which was operational from November 23, 2021 to November 22, 2023. For more information on CityStudio, please visit their website.


 

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Reviving local economies and building community wealth

During the spring and summer of 2022, RRU partnered with the Victoria-based Scale Collaborative, who supports leaders, organizations and public institutions incorporate enterprising approaches to strengthen the social economy.

Scale Collaborative was testing the feasibility of a community trust that could acquire multiple businesses at risk of closure due to a lack of succession plan or at risk of privatization. Through the Trust, their goal is to professionally manage and develop those assets in order to redistribute profits back into communities.  

The 2021/22 Bachelor of Business in Innovation and Sustainability cohort worked alongside Scale Collaborative to test their business selection criteria and develop options for an investment portfolio mix of businesses and other assets in the Vancouver Island region that are aligned.

The students also analyzed the risks and trade-offs and a portfolio construction strategy that builds off the synergies between portfolio companies.

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