What is a WBLE at JMU?

A WBLE, which stands for work-based learning experience, is a hands-on opportunity to gain skills and core career competencies that will serve you not just in your career, but anywhere you go after you graduate. Common experiences include internships, on campus employment, research, practicums, clinicals, or student teaching. I would definitely say that my photography skills have grown immensely in the last year and a half. I look at pictures that I took like a year and a half ago when I first started and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, like I could have done so much better." But obviously I didn't know then and now I know and I can only get better from here. I've been able to get a lot of experience with community engagement and communications through my fellowship, whether that's tabling at community events or writing for newsletters or interviewing folks about their experiences with conservation practices. learning a lot about tailoring our messaging and our information for different audiences and different knowledge levels. It's very rewarding to help fellow students especially with a difficult subject. Biopsychology is is a very difficult subject. I've really started to understand the professor's mindset and how to make sure that students are actually learning what you're trying to to teach them. Being able to work in a place with people that care so much about my success. They're there for me when I fail. They're there for me when I succeed. I think it's definitely shaped me into who I am and it's been a great proponent of teaching myself that like it's okay to fail in order to take the next step forward and to make mistakes. This was a great experience to get a taste of working in the nonprofit sector and in the environmental conservation field. It also sort of gave me a sense of what other jobs there are that exist in the field and might be somewhere that I want to go in the future with my career. Each WBLE should include: supervision by professional or faculty in the field have defined learning outcomes, structured reflection opportunities, mentorship and feedback, as well as a set schedule aligned with learning goals.

Here at the JMU Career Center, it is our mission to prepare students for the future.Visit the career center located in the Student Success Center on the third floor. Call us at 540-568-6555 or visit our website to learn more about WBLE and how to report your WBLE experience.