TIGER ATHLETICS
Hands-On Experience in Health & Wellness
At Iowa Wesleyan, students are given the opportunity to learn both in and out of the classroom. Many classes take an experimental approach to learning, taking students out into the field to practice what they have learned in their classes.
IW also encourages a service learning approach, where students support their communities through service projects and volunteering while continuing to engage with the materials they learned from their professors. As Dr. DeWayne Frazier, University Provost, noted, “Service learning is at the core of who we are at Iowa Wesleyan and it has been a part of the fabric of this institution for decades.”
As part of the Practicum in Exercise Science and Wellness course, taught by Professor Caleb Robertson, students are given the opportunity to apply their education to real-life situations by providing free personal training to volunteering members of the campus community.
“IW has long been a pioneer in the field of experimental learning through our service and internship programs and this project in Professor Robertson’s course highlights the type of hands-on experience our students receive.”
Students meet one-on-one with their assigned client twice a week for six weeks. With a variety of fitness levels and fitness goals, each student has the opportunity to work with their clients and individualize the training routine in the same way they would in the workforce.
“I was really nervous before starting the workouts with my client, but I went in there with confidence and a positive attitude and it was the best thing that I have ever done. This course has taught me the real-life experiences that I will encounter in the future. This class will make you get outside of your bubble and will prepare you for your future clients by making you interact with clients. I highly recommend this class to all future students that are looking forward to going into the exercise science world.” – Brady Lukavsky
“This course is very beneficial to anyone looking to go into physical therapy, athletics training, or coaching. The practical portion of this class really helps give a real feeling of interacting with someone you know nothing about, and helping them better themselves. I would recommend this course very highly to others.” – Damian Tanelus
Want to learn more? Check out our Exercise Science and Wellness program!