Fort Lewis College has been selected as one of five institutions statewide to join the Colorado Work‑Integrated Learning (CO‑WIL) Consortium, a three‑year pilot program that connects students with industry partners to tackle real‑world challenges through project‑based learning.
Created by House Bill 25-1186 and funded with more than $5.6 million from Ascendium Education Group and Strada Education Foundation, CO-WIL is expected to help institutions expand high-quality work-integrated learning experiences by connecting students with real employer projects as part of their regular coursework.
"The state intentionally selected rural, low-income serving institutions for this pilot," said Janae Hunderman, director of Career and Workforce at Fort Lewis College. "The idea is that if Colorado can figure out how to do work-integrated learning well in rural communities, then it can be scaled statewide."
Earlier this spring, Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) announced the five institutions selected to participate in the inaugural pilot program. In addition to FLC, those include Adams State University, Colorado Northwestern Community College, Colorado Mountain College and Lamar Community College.
Hunderman said traditional internships are often unpaid or logistically difficult for students juggling jobs, athletics, and family responsibilities. And there are rarely enough employers to offer one-on-one placements, she said.
"Internships don't work for every student," Hunderman added. "Many students need paid work, have jobs, athletics, or family responsibilities, and there simply aren't enough employers who can host one-on-one internships. A lot of hands-on learning opportunities are unpaid, which automatically keeps some students from participating. This model helps remove that barrier by compensating students for their work while they're earning academic credit."
How it works
Hunderman said she’s specially excited about the program’s partnership with Riipen, a work-based learning platform. Through that platform, CO-WIL will connect FLC students and faculty with industry partners, both locally and nationally, whose projects align with course curricula. Rather than one student placed with one employer, the model places small groups of students with a single employer giving more learners access to meaningful work experience while giving businesses real, completed project deliverables.
Students participating in these courses will receive a minimum $250 stipend, paid by the employer or CO-WIL, for their project work. Faculty who participate will also receive stipends for additional training and implementation.
"The platform helps faculty do something that's otherwise very hard, like finding multiple employers with meaningful projects that align with a course, all at the same time," Hunderman said. "Many faculty are already doing this kind of work, but the program allows us to expand it into disciplines where it's more difficult to make those connections."
At FLC, the program will initially support courses in computer information systems, psychology, nutrition, and studio art, Hunderman said.
"This is a win-win," she added. "Employers get meaningful projects completed, and students gain experience that helps them understand how their education connects to real-world work. This program will help students understand how the knowledge and skills they're learning can stay part of their lives long after they leave Fort Lewis College."
Employers interested in participating in the program can reach out to Hunderman at jhunderman@fortlewis.edu.