Stetson University’s Brown Innovation Fellows, a group of teacher-learners immersed in a year-long intensive journey of reflective dialogue and meaningful discussions about teaching and learning. The program expanded their skill sets for designing courses that foster experiential learning.
Preparing students to be community changemakers who develop innovative approaches to complex social challenges.
Our society faces broad, complex issues that will require years of work, collaboration among individuals from different cultural and disciplinary backgrounds, and innovative, creative thinking.
How do we help Stetson’s students realize their “full potential as informed citizens of local communities and the world” with the capacity and desire to address societal issues? How can we design courses that prepare students for these challenges?
The Brown Innovation Fellows program will provide faculty with the tools to be able to address issues facing our local and global community through engaging learning experiences in and out of the classroom. This program will be facilitated by the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence and the Center for Community Engagement
The 2019 Program
Successful applicants will design (or redesign) a course through participation in a year-long cohort program. Programming will engage participants in diverse experiences to expand skill sets for designing courses that foster experiential learning. Each Fellow will receive a stipend of $1,000 to be issued upon completion of the two-day Brown Innovation Institute (May 14-15) and submission of a reflective report and draft syllabus.
Program Learning Goals
Upon successful completion of the program, successful applicants will:
- identify local or global dilemmas, issues, or questions (DIQs) to frame course content
- develop expertise in pedagogical student learning
- demonstrate an understanding of the context of our local community and the most pressing issues our community faces
- establish a partnership with at least one non-profit, government, or civic organization
- articulate best practice in community-engaged learning
- use innovative strategies to deepen learning
- share their experiences with the campus community through a workshop at the annual Teaching & Learning Colloquium in April 2020