Experiential learning often includes a host of activities with a common goal—to immerse in hands-on learning outside the classroom. For Suneet and Jon, engineering students from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, this learning is taking place in the form of unique internship experiences at Noom, a tech firm and developer of mobile fitness and health apps based in New York City. 

We recently caught up with our Canadian participants to learn more about their experiences in the heart of one of the United States’ leading high-tech hubs.

At Noom, a culture forged through collaboration and creativity makes for a distinctively enriching learning environment.  

Interns hit the ground running and are paired directly with a senior engineer and assigned to projects. Their ideas are embraced and they’re immediately involved in the organization’s mission and success.

Free thinking and personal development is placed at the forefront of “Freestyle Fridays”, which provide regular opportunities to increase technical expertise, while exploring projects of personal interest.

Since arriving in September, Suneet and Jon have not only refined their software skills and improved their diets, but they’ve become an integral part of the Noom team.

On the internship experience at Noom…

Suneet:  We are seen as one of the team, not just as interns. We have a conversation in the morning about a project and it’s in production in the afternoon.  As a software developer, it is a great way to get comfortable. Fast-paced publications also allow Noom to offer more cutting-edge products to users.

Weekly one-on-one meetings help everyone synced with everyone around the office.  You can go and talk to anyone in the company, learn more about their projects, and their field. I’m currently learning about entrepreneurship from Saeju (Noom’s CEO and co-founder).

Jon: While here, I’ve learned a number of technical skills that I’ll be able to immediately apply to my fourth year design project back at the University of Waterloo.

The work is challenging, but it is a unique opportunity you wouldn’t get at a bigger company. On the first day you start out with a task and you go for it. They really care about you here and encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle. 

As a multidisciplinary company, you can talk to people with different backgrounds that are trained across disciplines. Someone in graphic design also knows the engineering side. Everyone is really smart and really personable. They not only have the technical skills and ability, but also the personality to back it up.

Learn more about Cultural Vistas’ intercultural exchange programs on Facebook  and Twitter @Cultural Vistas.