Engaging Exploration

What is Engaging Exploration?

Designed for faculty who are new to active learning, Engaging Exploration is a 4-day workshop held three times each summer. The workshops for Summer 2025 will be as follows:

  • May 13th - 16th - The Woodlands Center
  • June 3rd - June 6th - Main Campus: Walker Education Center
  • July 8th - 11th - Main Campus: Walker Education Center

From the model of the Mobile Summer Institutes (MoSIs) developed by the Poorvu Center for Teaching & Learning at Yale University, the Engaging Classrooms Team developed the curriculum for each Engaging Exploration workshop. The curriculum includes:

  • the importance & benefits of inclusive teaching
  • highlights of education research on active learning
  • an introduction to several active learning techniques
  • guidelines on integrating these techniques into the classroom
  • models of effective assessment

The curriculum is delivered through activities such as reflective writing, planning, reading, a discussion of teaching methods and philosophy, and interactive presentations. 

What are the benefits?

By the end of the 4-day Engaging Exploration workshop, participants will observe, evaluate, and collect a portfolio of innovative teaching approaches, instructional materials, and practical strategies for enhancing student learning that they can immediately apply to their teaching environments. 

In addition, a $500 stipend will be awarded to each faculty participant upon completion of the workshop.

Facilitator Applications

Facilitator applications for our Engaging Exploration workshops are currently open and will close January 31st at 5:00 p.m.

Facilitator Application 

How can you apply?

Engaging Exploration 2025 applications will be opening soon.

2024 Engaging Exploration 

May Workshop

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Bina Ajay, Chi Phan, Chanika Moses, Connor Lubojacky, Yao Huang, Olena Leipnik, Samitha Panangala, Erin Pitts, April O'Brien, Erica Pasquini, Daniel Horenstein, Katrina Thornton, Scott Miller, C. Renee James, Vinoth Sittaramane, Vanessa Weaver, William Whitmire, Ali Mchiri, George Prada III, Yuan Zhao

June Workshop

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Aaron Lynne, Baburhan Uzum, Carly Hoffmann, Chelsey Narvey, Colton Krawietz, Edna Velasquez, Jiaju Wu, Laura Iesue, Lesley Hughes, Maya Johnson, Megan Garcia, Melissa Donham, Nathan Machart, Nazanin Sedaghatkish, Owen Kelly, Pablo Povedo Ortega, Parichehr Kianian, Supun Samarakoon, Yaping Xu.

July Workshop

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Anand Karki, Brock Persons, Caleb Hubbard, Dan Puhl, Divina Gato-Hogno, Erica Hagmeyer, Ivys Fernandez-Pastrana, Jake Portie, Jill Dewey, Judy Clemens-Smucker, Lauren Rabe, Marla Antonette Niego, Nelka Wijesinghe, Samantha Soto.

2023 Engaging Exploration 

May Workshop

May Group Photo 1

Fadia Braktia, Andrea Beerwinkle, Anya Lu, Caroline Waldbuesser, Danhong Chen, Gulden Esat, Huda Masood, John Pascarella, Kandi Tayebi, Marcos Garza Madrid, Mona Cockerham, Nicholas Scheel, Rebecca Andrews-Dickert, Sharmin Hasan, Stuti Kokkalera, Taehoon Im, Deborah Duncan, Dione Renae Sibley, Yu Wang

June Workshop

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Carla D. Jones, Chad Reynolds, Di Gao, Donnie Lopez, Elisa Herrmann, Jessica McQueston, Kathleen Ratajczak, Leslie Anglesey, Linda Carrington, Linda Fergus, Mae Lane, Mary Yantis, Ron Reed, Rosanna Keathley, Sheri Aajul, Susan Henderson

July Workshop

Whole Group 4

ABM Rezbaul Islam, Aisha Ahmadu, Christopher M. Toula, Elizabath Hartsell, Ellen Weld, Josh Gilliland, Kristin Bennett, Kristina Claunch, Mike Vaughn, Miriam Akoto, Rhonda Savoy, Sapkota Kiran, Susan Strickland

2022 Engaging Exploration 

May Workshop

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Harshani Jayabahu Arachchilage, Rukma Basnayake, Basem Boutros, Christine Cardinal, Dustin Gross, Tiffany Frugé Jones, Mary Manis, Velvet Nelson, Van Vung Pham, Amar Rasheed, Amy Ray, Narasimha Shashidhar, Anne Smithson, Rasheda Sultana, Keila Tyner, Rosti Vana, Kristina Vargo, Cihan Varol

June Workshop

Group Picture 1 June

Juanita Brown, Gina Brynildsen, Jennifer Didier, Laura Dougherty, Maggie Elmore, Daphne Fulton, Marsie Grant, Tom Haase, Tze-Li Hsu, Tabbetha Lopez, Thomas Meagher, Rebecca Myers, Erin Owens, Bernadette Pruitt, David Pulling, Sharon Thomas, Chase Young

July Workshop

Group Photo 4

Heather Adair, Bhanu Balasubramnian, Lisa Brown, Tafara Cameron, Ashley Crane, Jared Dmello, Lei Duan, Nathan Eckstrand, Jessica Elkayam, Jamile Forcelini, Mary Funck, Emily Garner, Christina Gushanas, Dena Horne, Steven D. Koether, Erin Orrick, Berna Rahi, George Kevin Randall, Tamara Waggener, Candace Walkley, Michesha Washington

2019 Engaging Exploration 

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2018 MoSI

Mosi Group