What is ICEL?

ICEL stands for the International Consortium for Experiential Learning.
It is a network of organizations and individuals whose aim is to promote experiential learning at a global and international level.

ICEL offers an international forum for dialogue among practitioners, theoreticians and administrators in the diverse fields of experiential learning and education. It is particularly concerned with experiential learning as a vehicle for personal, social and global change, as well as with institutional and community applications.


What is experiential learning?

Tony Saddington, a member of ICEL, has written an article on 'experiential learning' available for you to download off the web. This article contains various useful definitions and descriptions of experiential learning practices.

For more information see the following pdf file:


Does ICEL hold conferences?

Yes, ICEL holds a bi-annual conference - see list of conferences (1987 to 2008) in the left-hand margin for details. The next conference will be held in 2008.

For more information visit the following website:


What are the aims of ICEL?

  1. To develop and promote concepts, practices and research in experiential learning, in both formal and informal settings.
  2. To maintain an active international and cross-disciplinary dialogue among practitioners, theoreticians, administrators and policy makers, from the diverse fields of experiential learning.
  3. To support and promote the key values underlying experiential learning, e.g. personal and collective responsibility and empowerment; active participation in process-orientated learning; transformation of experience through learning into constructive action; and sustaining a framework for learning that supports the above.
  4. To liaise with, develop, and validate national initiatives which support experiential learning.


What is the history of ICEL?

Ruth Cohen, a member of ICEL, has written “A personal history of ICEL” (PDF file) available for you to download off the web. This is the early history of ICEL up until the 2000 conference and contains lovely bits of information, humour and turning points in the formation and development of ICEL.


What are the ICEL Archives?

The Dave O’Reilly Experiential Learning Archive was established at the Institute of Education at the University of London in 1998. The archive contains publications, papers and other materials relating to the history and development of the experiential learning movement internationally as well as material relating to the conferences of ICEL. Experiential Educators are encouraged to make use of the archive and donate materials to it. The archive is housed in the library at the Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1 United Kingdom and the archivist can be contacted by phone (+44 (0)20 7612 6983) or email (arch.enquiries@ioe.ac.uk).


Who runs ICEL?

ICEL is run by a steering committee, elected at each ICEL conference. The term of office for each committee member lasts from one conference to the next. The current committee was elected in July 2006 at ICEL 2006.