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Liberal Arts Passport to Innovation

Liberal Arts Passport to Innovation

Figuring out how to turn your liberal arts education into a career might be scary, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Six short-online modules + six group coaching sessions – January to March

Announcing a free non-credit course at King’s to help you understand the possibilities, dig deeper into your values and interests, and frame your abilities for potential employers just in time to apply for summer internships.

This course will be your passport to the changing landscape of work, helping you to chart a course towards your goals, speak the language of this foreign land, and unlock opportunities you didn’t even know existed.

A special emphasis will be placed on the compatibility between a liberal arts education and opportunities in the innovation space. For us, this includes small to medium sized not-for-profits, social enterprises, and businesses that are trying something new and creative and are driven by a desire to make an impact on the world. These enterprises, and business in general, value the “human skills” that a liberal arts education cultivates. Liberal Arts Passport to Innovation will help make the connection between what you have to offer and what employers need.

Liberal Arts Passport to Innovation is a hybrid program (part online and part on-campus) that consists of six online modules (asynchronous) and six on-campus group coaching sessions of one hour each.

What you’ll learn

You’ll come away from the program able to:

  • Identify the personal values to serve as the guiding light for your career journey
  • Discover exciting, non-traditional career paths emerging in the innovation ecosystem
  • Identify potential job roles and organizations that align with your values and goals
  • Craft a compelling LinkedIn profile to showcase what you have to offer employers
  • Tailor a résumé and cover letter to a specific role and organization
  • Gain the vocabulary, conceptual frameworks, and confidence to navigate the innovation space (and the world of business in general)

Expected time commitment

Ahead of each class, you’ll watch a few short videos (approx. 30 minutes total per week). Each week you’ll also be offered tools, tip sheets, and activities.

The on-campus coaching sessions will take place on six Tuesdays throughout the term from 11:35 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. typically from January to March.

Student Testimonials

“I would definitely recommend Liberal Arts Passport to Innovation! I think it is a minor time commitment that I got a lot out of. Being a liberal arts student there is often a sense that we are less likely to be hired, so having a program that made me feel like I will be valued alongside my education was really reassuring! This program can be really useful for students in similar educational programs to understand their potential as an employee and know how to market themselves.”
Anna Carsley-Jones, Foundation Year Program

“I think that there is a big fear in graduating liberal arts students around not having any hard skills or courses specific to the industry they want to enter. Above all this course boosts confidence.”
Savannah Charbonneau, Classics and Contemporary Studies, final year

Instructors

Online modules are led by King’s alum Dr. Dawn Henwood, a former English professor who is now an entrepreneur serving the startup ecosystem. Dawn’s company, Clarity Studio, helps innovators express complex ideas clearly and simply, in ways that connect with their audience and make great things happen. Dawn was the Manager of Experiential Learning at Mount Allison University before founding her company.

In-person coaching sessions will be led by Joanna Sheridan, Manager of Experiential Learning and Public Humanities. Joanna developed the King’s Experiential Learning Program and has helped many students start begin their journey towards fulfilling careers over the past decade.

Am I eligible to enroll? Is there a course fee?

All King’s students are invited to enroll in this non-credit course regardless of year of study or program. Enrollment is absolutely free.

For more information

Read more about the origins of the course in this article by Josh Neufeldt, BJ(Hons)’22.

For more information, contact Joanna Sheridan, Manager of Public Humanities and Experiential Learning, at joanna.sheridan@ukings.ca.

King’s Experiential Learning Program (KELP) is made possible with assistance from the RBC Foundation through its Future Launch initiative.

For more information

Joanna Sheridan

Manager of Experiential Learning and Public Humanities; Assistant to the Vice-President , Vice-President's Office

joanna.sheridan@ukings.ca |