Sea Turtles, Satellites, and Race Cars

Fall Semester 2020 Ushers in Another Great Year of Experiential Learning at the University of Georgia

Thursday, September 17, 2020

by Andrew H. Potter

As a former corporate executive and now Director of University Experiential Learning at UGA, I am keenly aware of the opportunities and challenges facing the next generation.  As a father of two daughters who are undergraduates pursing degrees in engineering, I am constantly encouraging them to apply their classroom learning via real world experiences.  These two perspectives and UGA’s vision for using experiential learning to empower every student to apply their learning in real world contexts in order to equip them with the competencies and expanded perspectives to thrive, is what attracted me to UGA in 2019. 

The University of Georgia’s experiential learning initiative connects student’s academic foundations to their professional aspirations via high impact, degree integrated, real-world, immersive experiences.  Through the Experiential Learning Requirement, student’s build competencies that enable them to succeed in the evolving knowledge economy and operate as the community leaders of tomorrow. 

Currently, there are over 2,200 courses and non-credit activities at UGA that have been approved for Experiential Learning. 

Three of our newest opportunities include:

• The Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant provides internship opportunities for students interested in expanding their practical experience through public service, outreach, education, communications, and scientific research. Interns work closely with faculty and staff to support the program's mission of providing research, education, training, and science-based outreach to assist Georgia in solving problems and realizing opportunities for its coastal and marine environments. Interns gain hands-on experience leading educational programs and extension projects, participating in applied research, assisting with aquarium and animal husbandry, and working as members of the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant team
• The Small Satellite Research Lab (SSRL) was founded in 2016 as an avenue for undergraduates to design, build and test small-scale, space-ready satellites. The SSRL provides students with the opportunity to lead and operate the lab while working with faculty mentors on projects funded by the Air Force and NASA. Participants gain valuable experience in designing space hardware while also developing their writing, budgeting, and management skills.
• The UGA Motorsports Formula SAE Team is a unique Experiential Learning opportunity housed in the College of Engineering. Students from across all disciplines join together as a team to pursue a common goal of designing and building exceptional small-scale race cars. The Formula SAE divisions at UGA include Aero, Controls, Electrical, Frame, Powertrain, and Suspension.

In the past academic year, undergraduate students completed over 27,000 approved experiential learning activities.  These unique experiences not only equip students with the skills to succeed in an ever-changing economy, they also empower students to make an impact on their communities.  In short, we are using experiential learning to help students build their future and change their world. 

Andrew H. Potter is the Director of the University Office of Experiential Learning at the University of Georgia, one of the nation’s leading experiential education think tanks.  In this role, he directs the strategy and casts the vision for experiential education enabling every UGA undergraduate student to connect their academic foundations to the world beyond the classroom.  Learn more at UGA Experiential Learning. Stay up to date on all of our new programs at el.uga.edu and follow us on Instagram. Andrew can be contacted at andrew.potter@uga.edu.