Employers participating in the EduNova Study and Stay™ Career Connect program collaborate with motivated international business students to advance short-term, real-world projects that address practical organizational needs. These remote, co-curricular projects are designed to deliver meaningful outcomes for employers while giving learners applied experience, professional mentorship, and exposure to the Canadian workplace.
Projects are completed through the Riipen platform and typically involve one or two students, each contributing 30 hours over a five-week period. Employers define the project scope and determine how students work, independently or collaboratively, while providing light-touch guidance to support successful project delivery.
Top Tips for Project Creation
Provide clear organizational context
Share background on your organization, industry, and the business challenge you’re addressing. Strong context allows students to tailor their analysis and recommendations to your real needs.
Design for a focused, achievable scope
Projects should be scoped to be completed over five weeks (April 6 – May 8, 2026). Each project includes one or two learners, with each student contributing 30 hours, for a total of up to 60 learner hours.
Project scope and outcomes will vary based on employer needs. Successful projects are clearly defined, appropriately scaled to the timeframe, and focused on deliverables that benefit from student analysis, insight, and applied business thinking, rather than execution-heavy or day-to-day operational work.
List tools and resources clearly
Specify any tools, data, templates, or platforms students will use (e.g., spreadsheets, BI tools, CRM exports, process documentation) so teams can get started quickly.
Set expectations for support and mentorship
Employers are expected to provide a minimum of 5 total hours of mentorship per project, which may include onboarding, check-ins, feedback, and final review.
Employer Commitments During the Project
Host an onboarding or kickoff session
At the start of the project, employers should host a kickoff session to:
Introduce the organization and key stakeholders
Review project goals, scope, and success criteria
Establish communication norms and timelines
This early alignment helps students work efficiently and confidently.
Ensure access to required tools and information
If students require access to systems, data, or documentation, ensure this is arranged early so work can begin without delays.
Managing Your Project on Riipen
Riipen provides tools to support collaboration and visibility throughout the project. Employers can:
View learners in the Teams tab
Communicate via individual or group messaging
Review milestones and submissions
Upload files, notes, and feedback
Best practices:
Establish communication channels early
Set milestones to guide progress
Schedule brief weekly or bi-weekly check-ins as needed
Riipen integrates with Zoom and Google Meet to support virtual meetings.
Completing Your Project
When students submit their final deliverables, you’ll receive a notification through the platform. Deliverables will align with the scope and expectations outlined in your project description at the time of matching and may vary by project. These can include, but are not limited to:
Written reports or analyses
Strategy or executive-level presentation decks
Financial models, frameworks, or tools
Supporting documentation, summaries, or recommendations
At project close, employers are expected to:
Review final deliverables
Complete a short exit survey
Provide feedback for each student
Providing feedback
Feedback may be provided privately and publicly on Riipen. Public feedback appears on the student’s profile with your name attached, so please keep feedback constructive, professional, and balanced, highlighting strengths as well as areas for improvement.
Students will also submit feedback about their experience working with your organization, which will appear on your employer profile.
Need Help?
If you have questions or need support at any point:
Use the chat feature (avocado icon in the bottom-right corner of Riipen), or