About
The Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) is an initiative by the UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE). GEEP aims to strengthen the bridge between classroom learning (theory) and application (practice) to address pressing global issues. Through both types of programming, curricular (for-credit) and co-curricular (not-for-credit), GEEP will provide students with experiential education opportunities on projects designed and led by global community partners.
Current Programming
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya (BNBR)
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Kamili Organisation
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Maisha Girls Safe House
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 4 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Advocacy Project with the Scholars at Risk Network
- Engagementship Location: In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate with 60+ credits (exceptions outlined below)
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community Engagement Project with the UBC HRC
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate with 60+ credits (exceptions outlined below)
Application Deadline: September 14th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
- Engagementship Type: Community Engagement Project with the UBC Gender+ Collective
- Engagementship Location: 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
- Duration: 8 months starting in September 2025
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate with 60+ credits (exceptions outlined below)
Application Deadline: September 28th, 2025 (11:59PM)
- Program Type: 3-Credit Curricular Program (Academic Course) taught by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim
- Engagementship Location: Nairobi, Kenya
- Duration: 5 weeks beginning in May 2026 + Pre-departure Program & Post-placement Activities
- Eligibility: Open to UBC-V BSW or MSW students (exceptions outlined below)
Course Website Coming Soon!
Program Structure
Program offerings for the upcoming 2025/26 school year will be released in early-August. Students interested in applying to our program can apply to our curricular (for-credit) and/or co-curricular (not-for-credit) programming, depending on their interest, background, and level of commitment. Student project teams will be comprised of 3-5 students.
Different funding opportunities are available for each program. See the funding page here and check out more details under each specific project page.
Curricular programs are for-credit academic courses that integrate classroom learning with a community-based experiential learning opportunity. Our curricular offerings can cover a range of disciplines and topics.
Expected Duration: 1-4 months (Course Dependent)
Experiential Education Component
- International Immersive Placement
- Local Community-Based Project
Past ORICE Curricular Programs
Co-curricular programs (not-for-credit, unpaid opportunities) are co-designed by ORICE and a specific community organization to address particular global issues/themes through a project.
Expected Duration: 2 weeks to 8 months (Project Dependent)
Types of Projects
- Community-Engaged Research Projects
- Advocacy Projects
Experiential Education Component
- Placement-Based: International placement with a community organization abroad to complete a project
- UBC-Based: Program encompasses remote and in-person activities at the UBC-V campus
Past ORICE Co-curricular Programs
- 2024S: Data Exploration and Mapping for Community Mental Health with Basic Needs, Basic Rights (Kenya)
- 2024S: Threads of Transformation: Publishing on Community Healing with Green String Network (Kenya)
- Livelihoods, climate change, and pastoralist communities: A baseline analysis and comparative study
Background
Over the past years, ORICE has provided both curricular and co-curricular programs aimed at fostering significant connections between students, faculty, and community organizations across the globe. Through these tailored opportunities, students were asked to engage with the values and principles of ethical community-engaged practice to prioritize the goals of our community partners and collaborate on projects together.
The Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) represents an extension of ORICE’s existing curricular and co-curricular initiatives, enabling each program to align with our core values and objectives.
Throughout its existence and now through the Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP), ORICE has sought to unsettle common ideas of where knowledge and expertise are created and held. ORICE recognizes the significance of abandoning prominent top-down approaches to knowledge and expertise when addressing global crises. The Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) embodies this quality by prioritizing collaborative learning and grassroots solutions.
GEEP prioritizes the collaboration between community and academic spaces to co-learn, co-design, and co-imagine. Ultimately, GEEP prepares students for when they leave academia and enter the world by providing alternative models to work with and within communities.
Collaboration with the Collectives
ORICE houses two collectives: the UBC Human Rights Collective and the Gender+ in Research Collective. The Collectives support the aims and project goals of some GEEP programming by providing resources for the students and organizations or collaborating in their development. Collaboration with the Collectives leverages connections between scholars, practitioners, and students.
Program Values and Approaches
The Global Experiential Education Program ascribes to ORICE’s values and pedagogical approaches. These guide GEEP’s curricular and co-curricular programming.
Why Participate in GEEP?
Through the Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP), you can:
- Apply your academic knowledge to complex global issues
- Gain experience with community-based research/community engagement
- Work with and learn from community partners
- Learn to work with principles of ethical community-engaged practice
- Gain course credits or relevant academic/career experience
Past Programming
Application Closed
Program Type: Curricular, International Immersive Placement
Duration: 5 weeks beginning in May 2025 + Pre-departure Program & Post-placement Activities
Eligibility: Open to UBC-V BSW or MSW students (Exceptions outlined on program page)
Application Closed
Program Type: Co-curricular, UBC-based Community-Engaged Research Project
Duration: 3 months beginning on October 2024
Eligibility: UBC Vancouver undergraduate student with 60 or more completed credits as of August 31st, 2024
Application Closed
Program Type: Co-curricular, UBC-based Community-Engaged Research Project
Duration: 7 months beginning October 2024
Eligibility: UBC Vancouver undergraduate student with 60 or more completed credits as of August 31st, 2024
Application Closed
Program Type: Co-curricular, Advocacy Project
Duration: 7 months beginning October 2024
Eligibility: UBC Vancouver undergraduate student with 60 or more completed credits as of August 31st, 2024
Application Closed
Program Type: Co-curricular, UBC-based Community-Engaged Research Project
Duration: 4 months beginning January 2025
Eligibility: UBC Vancouver undergraduate student with 60 or more completed credits as of December 31st, 2024
Read About Past Student Experiences
‘Collaborative Online International Learning’ sparks lasting & meaningful global connections
Beyond Baselines: Student Perspectives on an Immersive Experiential Learning Program (ECON 364B)
The Power of Community Knowledge: Student Perspectives of the SOWK 440J/571 Course
