Students participating in WIL applied projects engage with external partners to address workplace challenges or research projects solve workplace problems in partnership with external partners.
Solutions to these problems are typically generated through consulting, design, community-based collaboration or some combination of all three.
Applied Project Samples at CapU
Partner: MONOVA
Instructor: Kym Stewart
Description: Students engaged with oral history recordings available through MONOVA and selected a theme related to reconciliation or decolonization to conduct further research on utilizing the Archives.
Outcomes: Presentation posters on selected themes have shared personal reflections on the process. Select posters will be exhibited at the Museum and presented to larger community.
Partner: City of North Vancouver, Engineering Department
Instructor: Roy Jantzen
Description: Students engaged in research to develop an action plan on how to attract small cruise ship operators to the North Vancouver dock.
Outcomes: Presentation to CNV on eco-tour options with a focus on identifying local prospective partnerships. These opportunities maybe moved forward to potentially attract smaller cruise companies to use the dock at the Shipyards.
Partner: Cocoa Passion Chocolates
Instructor: David Kuch
Description: Students engaged in developing a complete B2B selling plan.
Outcomes: Present a full business to business selling plan to Cocoa Passion Chocolates to enact their business model and support founders' plan to launch their small business on the local north shore market and globally.
Partner: Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia
Instructor: Michelle Casavant
Description: Students visit the Native Court and learn about the association's role in the BC's justice system, building an understanding of the culturally-appropriate services to Indigenous people and communities.
Outcomes: Develop and present community awareness assets/materials to be utilized by NCCABC in their communications strategy.
Partner: Destination Greater Victoria
Instructor: Rosemarie Perkin
Description: Design an accessibility-mindful map for the area of downtown Victoria.
Outcomes: Deliver a digital accessibility map to Destination Greater Victoria. Students' work met all requirements set by the partner and the map will be displayed in the visitor center at the beginning of Spring 2025.
Partner: Ginger Jar Furniture and Coast Consignment
Instructor: David Kuch
Description: A detailed business development and marketing strategy plan to establish the brand of the North Shore Design District, a place on the north shore where customers can find everything home or garden (re)design related.
Outcomes: A plan for a suggested in-person launch event; a digital media kit, including a logo design, a color theme, and a website mock-up; a market research and competition analysis report; a set of ideas for naming the Design District.
Partner: Capilano University
Instructor: Donna Perry
Description: A healthy workplace project aimed at raising CapU employee's awareness of healthy living options, available resources, and more visibility towards the patterns choices we make can create.
Outcomes: Students apply course knowledge to act as consultants for select CapU employees as assigned; they will develop a set of customized wellness activities based on the individual's physical abilities; they will deliver a wellness workshop open to all CapU employees.
Partner: Lynn Valley Services Society
Instructor: Carrie Jung
Description: A community service-learning based project at a local non-profit organization. Students will deliver workshops and specially customized activities for the clients of Lynn Valley Services Society.
Outcomes: A total of three (3) workshop sessions were delivered at LYSS; activities included showcasing diverse cultures, learning select phrases in different languages, drawing, and board games. LYSS loved the excitement brought in by the EAP students.
SDG Related Applied Projects
Partner: Lynn Valley Society Services
Instructor: Vilien Chan and Carrie Jung
Description and outcomes: Students engaged with community members at Lynn Valley Services Society (Mollie Nye House) through inclusive, in‑person communication activities to support social activities and closer connections for people with diverse abilities. Supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education), project outcomes have strengthened students' conversational and written English skills through applied learning in a community setting. In line with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), this project facilitated interactions between students and society members resulted in a number of activities that promoted social inclusion, community connection, and equitable participation.
Partner: Hollyburn Society
Instructor: Sarah Yercich
Description and outcomes: In this project, students developed short proposals for Hollyburn Society's Risk Youth Outdoor Recreation Program focused on engaging youth aged 18–28 on Vancouver's north shore. Aligned with SDG 3, student's work emphasized the importance of advancing youth well‑being through inclusive recruitment of underserved populations, through promoting sustainable funding models, community partnerships, and collecting clear success metrics that further support a healthy engagement.
Partner: North Shore Women's Centre
Instructor: Joe Munsterman
Description and outcomes: Through this applied project, students engaged in social research on housing and support services for women fleeing intimate violence on Vancouver's north shore. Their work on addressing gender inequality by mapping emergency and transitional housing resources was aligned with SDG 5. As part of this project, they have also developed information tools to support community‑based responses that strengthen safety, easy access to services, gender equity, and local support systems – efforts aligned to SDG 16.
Partner: North Shore Women's Centre
Instructor: Aman Bassi & Lesley Schmanski
Description and outcomes: Aligning their work to SD5, students developed a set of tools, including a needs assessment, that was focused on short‑term housing for the members of the North Shore Women's Centre who have experienced domestic violence. Student teams worked together to deliver survey instruments, interview guides, literature summaries, and resource strategies. These tools were designed for housing providers, case workers, and other members of various advocacy organizations. The materials were instrumental in informing program development, identifying service gaps, and supporting advocacy and planning within the centre.
Partner: North Shore Restorative Justice
Instructor: Grace Kym
Description and outcomes: In this Work‑Integrated Learning (WIL) project, students created storytelling‑based communication materials for North Shore Restorative Justice to make its values, programs, and impact more accessible to the public. Students developed presentations, branded stories, and media materials in support of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), to strengthen understanding of restorative justice. Through collaboration with a community organization to enhance its public outreach and collective impact, students also advanced SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Partner: North Shore Restorative Justice
Instructor: Grace Kym
Description and outcomes: Following SDG17, this applied project allowed students to develop a set of soliciting and outreach materials for North Shore Restorative Justice. Aimed to support engagement, participation, and program uptake, this toolkit required some research and data management. Students worked on soliciting emails and letters, media releases, fact sheets, and proposal communications. Once organized, the information was designed to be promoted and further prompt action from community members and decision‑makers. Through this applied project, students developed communication and research skills that support organizational outreach, fundraising, and community involvement.
Partner: District of North Vancouver
Instructor: Thomas Flower and Hojat Yazdanpanah
Description and outcomes: Student teams utilized ecological data provided by District of North Vancouver and worked on mapping it onto storymaps. Students generated concise reports for the DNV to emphasize local environmental and biodiversity challenges. Using mapped datasets, visualizations, and narrative storytelling, the students documented specific issues and presented evidence‑based recommendations for municipal consideration. Aligned with SDG 11 and SDG 15, this applied research project generated digital resources that are now used to further support local environmental planning and public communication.
Partner: North Shore Homelessness
Instructor: Grace Kim
Description and outcomes: In this Work‑Integrated Learning (WIL) project, students developed communication materials for the Purple Chair initiative with the North Shore Homelessness Task Force to raise awareness of homelessness, substance use, and local supports. Aligned with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), the project produced youth‑focused digital and social media resources, intended for use across platforms and communication channels, in support of public education, community outreach, and inclusive growth of urban wellbeing.
Partner: Safety & Emergency Services (CapU)
Instructor: Laurie Prange
Description and outcomes: Students worked to develop communication tools and rollout strategies for a new campus safety and incident alert system, an initiative that supports SDG16. Student deliverables included an action plan for introducing safety protocols, specific communication approaches, and creative outreach ideas designed to increase awareness and understanding of emergency response procedures on campus. The results included practical student materials to support campus safety implementation and improve how safety information is communicated across the university community.