Graduate student program turns research into real-world impact

After a successful first year connecting graduate students with organizations improving maternal and child health, the Child Health Experiential Learning Opportunities (CHELO) program has opened applications for its new cohort. In its inaugural year, the program placed six graduate students with six partner organizations, providing hands-on experience while helping address real-world challenges in maternal and child health.

For many graduate students, the question isn't whether their research can make a difference, it's how to apply it beyond academia. The CHELO program was created to answer that question, connecting graduate students with paid internships where they can apply their expertise to real-world challenges facing children and families and learn beyond the lab.

The roots of CHELO trace back to the Professional Development and Experiential Learning (PDEL) Program, co-developed in 2020 by Dr. Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci, BA'93, MSc'95, PhD'98, and Community Health Sciences graduate student Benedicta Antepim, BA'13, BSc'13, MA'22, with support from a Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning grant. Oddone Paolucci is also a co-lead of the One Child Every Child Transdisciplinary Training Accelerator with Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin, MD.

Building tomorrow's child health leaders

Now entering its second year, CHELO is once again inviting thesis-based master's, Doctor of Education and PhD students from all University of Calgary faculties to build professional skills, explore careers beyond academia and gain hands-on patient and family experience with organizations working to improve maternal and child health.

Last year's inaugural cohort demonstrated the value of experiential learning, pairing students with partner organizations across the health, community and research sectors while helping them strengthen skills in leadership, communication, project management and knowledge translation.

Learning by doing

Unlike traditional graduate training, CHELO places students into paid internships with organizations such as: Cavernous Malformation Canada, Primary Care Alberta, Children's Cottage Society, National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, and Calgary Adapted Hub in partnership with the Alberta Ballet. Students can also pursue an organization of their choice.

"Our partner organizations get motivated, skilled graduate students who bring fresh perspective to their work, and our students get a front-row seat to how research shapes decisions on the ground," says Oddone Paolucci, a professor in the Cumming School of Medicine and instructor of both CHELO courses. "It's a win for everyone, but especially for the children and families these organizations serve." 

A student’s perspective

For Camri Imlach, her internship was at Cavernous Malformation Canada where she was able to learn about patient and family impact and bring those learnings back to her graduate studies. The organization researches this rare neurological vascular disorder, helping to advance understanding and improve care for people living with cavernous malformations.

“When I applied to CHELO, I didn't really know what to expect; I just knew I wanted to make a bigger impact on child health,” says Camri. “The program pushed me outside my comfort zone in the best way possible. It helped me develop skills beyond the scientific side of my training, from learning directly from patients and families to better understanding how research connects with the broader health-care system. 

“It completely broadened my view of what's possible in my career, and I'd encourage any graduate student who's considering it to take that leap.”

While Camri gained invaluable experience through her internship, the partnership also created meaningful benefits for Cavernous Malformation Canada.

“Through the CHELO internship, we welcomed an opportunity to advance scientific discovery by bridging it with the lived experience and patients and families. The intern developed methods to mitigate barriers to care for children, today and in the future,” says organization President and CEO Prem Kaur. “We witnessed an evolution in leadership, a demonstrated impact to children affected by cavernous malformation, and the development of skills that will no doubt advance the intern’s suitability in her career of choice. We greatly appreciate and value the CHELO program.”

Applications for next cohort now open

“As demand grows for researchers who can work across disciplines and sectors, experiential-learning opportunities like CHELO are becoming increasingly valuable,” says Oddone Paolucci. 

Applications for the Fall 2026 CHELO cohort are now open. In addition to earning two course credits and a paid internship, students who finish the CHELO program will receive a $5,000 award.

To learn more about eligibility criteria for the CHELO program, visit the website. Applications close Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., MT.

The CHELO program is funded by the One Child Every Child research initiative and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.