What is Experiential Learning?
Structured education activities that challenge participants to reflect upon, think critically about, and learn from their experience.

What is the Minnesota Association for Experiential Learning?
MAFEL is a unique regional organization and professional forum fostering the development, promotion, and supervision of internships, community service learning, and field experience learning.

Why did MAFEL begin?
Founded in 1975, MAFEL organized to create vital links between education, nonprofit, business, and government communities interested in promoting and supporting experiential learning. In 1980, MAFEL received nonprofit tax-exempt status.

Who participates in MAFEL?
Members may include internship coordinators, site supervisors, career counselors, faculty at area colleges and universities, volunteer coordinators, human resource professionals, and individuals interested in experiential learning.

What are the goals of the organization?
To promote internships, service learning, and experiential education as a means for students to enhance connections between academic learning and the world of work and service.
To create and strengthen partnerships between sites and education institutions.
To advance the practice of experiential learning by addressing common problems, developing new learning models and assessment tools, promoting principles of good practice, and asserting influence as a network of education, public service, and corporate professionals.
To serve as a resource network for sharing information and ideas, and serve as a forum for members' professional growth and development.

What are the benefits of joining MAFEL?

...regular meetings and discussions.

...an annual conference.

...a membership directory.

...opportunity to establish ties between education programs and organizations which offer experiential learning opportunities.

...a strong relationship with the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) and with other national organizations, including

• the Association for Experiential Education (AEE),
• the Cooperative Education Association (CEA),
• the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC),
• the Minnesota Association of Volunteer-Directors (MAVD),
• and MN Campus Compact.