“ISEEN helped me feel rejuvenated as an educator and supported and reaffirmed in the work to create truly meaningful and lifelong learning experiences for my students.”
Erik Hove, The Pingry School 

ISEEN Summer Teacher Institute 2024

Experiential Education Pedagogy & Practice

Session 1: Thursday, June 20 to Monday, June 24, 2024
Session 1 Cohorts: Math, English, Global Languages, Elementary Ed

Session 2: Tuesday, June 25 to Saturday, 29, 2024
Session 2 Cohorts: History, Science, Ex Ed Weeks/Immersive, Makerspace Pedagogy*

*Cohort on Makerspace Pedagogy New This Year*

The 2024 ISEEN Summer Institute has concluded.
Thank you to all the participants who made it such a special event! 

About the Summer Institute 

The ISEEN Summer Teacher Institute fuses rigorous academic disciplines with deep thinking about the cognitive learning process through the experiential learning cycle. This professional development opportunity is for teachers who want to delve deeper into experiential education and reflective teaching practices while immersed in experiential and place-based activities on the front range of Colorado.  Whereas the ISEEN Winter Institute is an annual gathering for administrators to stay up to date with current thinking on experiential education practices and trends, the Summer Institute brings experiential education to the classroom in a practical, curriculum-based, and supportive environment led by master teacher facilitators from schools around North America.

Modeling a high quality experiential education program, the ISEEN Summer Institute is the premier and founding experiential education PD for teachers that focuses on elements of place, skills and knowledge development, curriculum design, assessment, and building community & belonging while reflecting and connecting with other attendees. The Institute is conducted in partnership with the Dawson School. It is truly a magical, transformative, and restorative experience through the incredible leadership of our team of facilitators.

	“This institute is PIVOTAL! If you want to uncover ways to better reach the students in your class, attend. If you want to learn how to unpack some of those higher concept lesson plans you have, attend! Lastly, if you’re just an Educator that is aware ‘something’ is missing on your campus I’m telling you, Attend!” Jyme Roundtree, The Emery Weiner School

2024 Academic Discipline Cohorts

Teachers enroll in one of the following cohorts (Middle and Upper School focus, unless noted below):

 *This cohort is for educators that are planning or are currently responsible for implementing Immersive or Intensive (i.e. mini-mesters, May term, Discovery term) experiences at their schools.  Participants in this cohort will learn about best practices in planning and implementing these types of programs, as well as have time to develop or iterate on an existing curriculum.  

**The Makerspace Pedagogy Cohort will focus on integrating Makerspaces into their respective schools. Participants will explore the purpose of their Makerspace and how the space is used to develop educational programming to serve the mission of their school. Using an experiential education learning cycle, key topics include how schools build a supportive learning community, the structure of programming in the Makerspace, purposefully designing reflection and evaluation into curriculum, and designing outstanding, innovative projects that support your students and educator learning goals. This cohort is being planned and facilitated in collaboration with ATLIS (Association of Technology Leaders in INdependent Schools)

Schedule at a Glance (subject to change)

Session One: Thursday, June 20 to Monday, June 24, 2024
Session One Cohorts: Math, English, Global Languages, and Elementary Ed

Session Two: Tuesday, June 25 to Saturday, June 29, 2024
Session Two Cohorts: History, Science, Ex Ed Weeks/Immersives, Makerspace Pedagogy

Day 1: Thursday, June 20 & Tuesday, June 25
2:30 PM & 3:00 PM	Shuttles: SpringHill Suites to Dawson School
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM	Check-In *Bring ID for security at Dawson School*
4:00 PM - 5:20 PM	Summer Institute Opening: Welcome, Homeroom, Expectations for the Week
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM	Academic Discipline Cohorts: Classrooms
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM	Group Dinner
7:30 PM	Shuttle back to Hotel
8:00 PM +	[Optional] Socializing
Day 2: Friday, June 21 & Wednesday, June 26
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	[Optional] Running or yoga
6:00 AM - 8:25 AM	Breakfast at Hotel
8:30 AM	Shuttle to Dawson
8:50 AM - 9:00 AM	Morning Circle
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM	Workshop: Understanding Experiential Education from a Teachers Perspective
11:10 AM - 12:30 PM	Academic Discipline Cohorts
12:30 AM - 1:30 PM	Lunch & BIPOC Lunch
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM	[Optional] Facilitator Office Hours
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM	Academic Discipline Cohorts
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM	Homeroom
5:35 PM	Shuttle to Hotel
6:00 PM +	Dinner on your own & [optional] socializing
Day 3: Saturday, June 22 & Thursday, June 27
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	[Optional] Running or Yoga
7:00 AM - 8:25 AM	Breakfast at Hotel
8:30 AM	Shuttle to Place-Based Excursion
9:00 AM - 12:45 PM	Place-Based Excursion & Lunch
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM	Academic Discipline Cohorts
4:30 PM	Shuttle to Boulder or Hotel
5:00 PM	BIPOC Happy Hour
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM	Dinner on your own [Boulder]
7:30 PM	Shuttle from Boulder to Hotel
8:00 PM +	[Optional] Socializing
Day 4: Sunday, June 23 & Friday, June 28
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM	[Optional] Running or Yoga
7:00 AM - 8:25 AM	Breakfast at Hotel
8:30 AM	Shuttle to Dawson
8:50 AM - 9:00 AM	Morning Circle
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM	Academic Discipline Cohort
12:40 PM - 1:40 PM	Lunch
1:40 PM - 2:40 PM	Ex Ed Slam
2:40 PM - 3:40 PM	Group Reflections & Homeroom
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM	Institute Closing
4:45 PM	Shuttle to Hotel
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM	Celebration Dinner at Oskar Blues
8:00 PM +	[Optional] Socializing
Day 5: Monday, June 24 & Saturday, June 29
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM                       Breakfast at Hotel
12:00 PM                                     Hotel Checkout

What Participants Experience 

Place-Based Learning:  Throughout the week, participants will live and learn through experiential education lessons in practice through immersion within Colorado’s front range. They’ll participate in experiential education through the setting, and the opportunities we create to explore the history and geography of the region.

Curriculum Development: Through discipline-specific, small group workshop cohorts, participants will be given the time to develop and receive feedback on curriculum and assessments that can be put to immediate use in their classrooms. Led by experts in their field, the facilitators help participants rethink assessment, learn new tools from colleagues, and broaden perspectives through immersive, experiential and practical workshops. 

Creating Connections and Community around Experiential Education: Participants will come away with a network of colleagues to connect with throughout the year and share ideas for curriculum, instruction, and assessment. 

Learning Objectives:
Participants will leave the Institute with the following:

• An understanding of the theory and pedagogy of experiential education and how it relates to academic rigor, student engagement, and classroom enhancement.
• A better understanding of the integrated role experiential education can play in classrooms, school mission, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist initiatives.
• Learning how to apply and integrate experiential education pedagogy based on academic disciplines. 
• Access to extensive resources relevant to their discipline.

Registration

The registration fee is inclusive of all workshops and some meals (lunches, welcome and closing dinner) throughout the duration of the Institute. Lodging not included in registration fee - hotel information below. 

*Make sure you have a linked profile in our database to receive member pricing. Reach out to Whitney ([email protected]) if you are not sure of your member status.

**Canadian Schools: We are offering an exchange rate discount to interested Canadian schools. Please contact Whitney Hofacker at for more information.

The 2024 ISEEN Summer Institute has concluded. Thank you to all the participants who made it such a special event! 

Refund & Cancelation Policy

Should you need to cancel your registration you will have two options. A colleague may be substituted at no fee or, if you cancel without substituting your place, the refund policy below will go into effect.

• Cancellation greater than 61 days prior to the Institute: 90% refund
• Cancellation 60-30 days prior to the conference: 50% refund
• Cancellation under 30 days prior to the conference: 0% refund

COVID-19 Refunds: In the event public health dictates that we are not able to gather in June and ISEEN cancels, we will refund registration fees minus a 10% administrative fee.

Important Registration Notes:

For community building and ease of transportation we encourage all participants to stay at the below accommodations.  

Additional costs include lodging in Longmont, CO. Attendees should book their lodging from June 20-24 or June 25-29. We have negotiated a reduced rate of $154 USD per night (plus taxes and fees) for Institute attendees at the Spring Hill Suites in Longmont, CO.  Use this link to take advantage of the discounted rate, or mention ISEEN when you call to make a reservation. Deadline to receive the reduced rate is May 24, 2024.
We will provide a daily shuttle from the hotels to The Dawson School so please keep that in mind when booking accommodations. 

Travel Logistics 

Partners/Families and Full Engagement:

As Colorado is such an appealing destination, we are often asked by potential attendees if their partner or family can join them. We understand this desire and encourage attendees to spend some extra time in Colorado to truly experience the wonder of this amazing area. That said, much of what makes the ISEEN Institute so powerful is the community that we build through meals and social/downtime and, unlike typical conferences, the Institute is truly an immersion experience. Attendees are deeply engaged from sun-up to sun-down with each other and the program.

Partners are invited to join the group for the closing dinner (additional cost), but all other meals and activities are reserved solely for Institute attendees to help build and maintain that core community (and we assume and request attendees will fully participate with the program). Partners/families should be prepared to be very independent throughout the duration of the Institute and should plan any family time/activities before or after the Institute dates. 

Questions

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions about the event. Email us at [email protected] or call us at (206) 209-5288.

Your 2024 ISEEN Summer Institute Planning Team is excited to see you!