Student success in post-secondary education is largely assessed by their competency assessed by exams and written reports. Curricula may be updated frequently or not. In some cases students are active learners, while in others, a lecture lab format leaves the students learning what they are told to. Often, first year students take primarily large basic science or arts classes with little direct connection to agriculture. An animal science course could serve to “warm-up” the first year for agriculture students. For 11 years, the introductory animal science class at the University of Alberta has carried about 50% of the marks though open-ended project work, known to us as “free-range learning.” Through a series of individual and group projects, over 1,100 students have learned the basics of animal science. Lectures, lab tours and exams are still held. The value-added part of the courses have been the offering of 2 to 4 projects per term, designed to allow creativity, embrace the arts, allow opportunity for in depth science discovery and to construct and maintain a learning community. In these projects, students become the experts, with encouragement to contact local individuals as well as those at other universities for up-to-date information. Student deliverables have included videos, live drama presentations, and in-class presentations. For some students, success in this environment can be a challenge so we have senior undergrad alumni return as “learning coaches.” Some projects have focused on tools and technologies used in animal production and processing and value-added food production. The program “There’s a Heifer in Your Tank” provided groups of students opportunity to answer “questions you didn’t know you had about food production” in a public venue reminiscent of an agriculture-based show. In an effort to build ag-fluency, a Rural Café provided 78 students a chance to converse one-on-one with 18 farmers in a speed-dating format. In our experience, engaging students as active learners has improved student satisfaction and retention and resulted in a stronger student-institution bond.