About the Institute:

The 19th Annual ISEEN Winter Institute will explore student flourishing through place-based experiential learning. The four-day ISEEN Winter Institute provides educators opportunities to participate in another school’s experiential education programming and engage in professional and affinity spaces. This year’s Institute is being hosted by The Athenian School and the theme is Rooted in Experiential Education: Finding Our Places to Flourish. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Athenian was founded on the principles of experiential education and has a long history with experiential education pedagogy. 

This year’s Institute will examine the following essential questions:

• How do we infuse experiential education throughout teaching and learning at our schools and institutions?
• How do we educate students to have the conscience, courage, and skills to work for social change and justice?
• How do we make cultural competency central to our experiential learning pedagogy and practice?

Experiential education is a powerful strategy for students’ flourishing; not only is this confirmed by compelling research, but we see it in our work with young people. Whether it’s an arts program, the wilderness, an international experience, or being of service, students are brought into new places, relationships, and communities where they can explore and express various parts of themselves. The Institute will build on the theme from last year’s Winter Institute where Dr. Bettina Love spoke to the healing potential of schools “to transform into locations of healing in order for students to learn.” Students blossom and thrive when they feel seen and are supported in their community.