Experiential learning celebrated at fall expo

Nearly 100 student posters and projects filled the Boise State campus during the second annual Service-Learning and Vertically Integrated Projects Fall Expo. The event brought together students, faculty, staff and community partners to celebrate hands-on, research-based learning across disciplines.

Event highlights

Projects represented every corner of campus, ranging from environmental science and psychology to art, engineering, economics, and much more. Students showcased work on topics as varied as sagebrush seedling survival, the impact of outdoor education, orbital decay of exoplanets, and color matching skills in preschoolers. The ART 420 Service-Learning team presented their "Idaho City Yurt Trail Interpretive Signage" project, while the PSYC 310 group shared insights into "Intergenerational Relationships." Among Vertically Integrated Projects, teams displayed innovative research such as an "Economic Analysis of Ski Visitation" or the "Lucky Peak Owl Monitoring Project," which is a project in partnership with the Intermountain Bird Observatory. Other collaborators included the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and the City of Boise's Parks and Recreation Department.

Hands-on demonstrations

Beyond posters, a number of teams brought their work to life through artwork and prototypes. For instance, the Bender Autonomous Robotic Systems VIP team drew attention with their lunar robot prototype, which will compete in NASA's upcoming Lunabotics competition.

Attendees included Boise State undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, administrators, community partners, friends and families. Students emphasized how the expo gave them the opportunity to share their accomplishments and sharpen their communication skills, while visitors enjoyed learning about the diverse and meaningful ways students are engaging with real-world challenges.

Purpose and partners

The SL/VIP Fall Expo is a collaboration between the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Institute for Inclusive and Transformative Scholarship, which jointly support these experiential learning programs. Although Service-Learning and Vertically Integrated Projects differ in structure, both provide students with credit-bearing opportunities to work with faculty, peers, and partners to address authentic questions, needs and challenges in our communities.

Looking ahead

Save the date for next year's SL/VIP Fall Expo in December 2026.

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