Project
Design Lab 2025
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June 23-27
University of Vermont, Burlington
PDL Class of 2024
Creativity at the Center of Learning
At the Project Design Lab you will collaborate with master teaching artists to design a project plan that leverages the power of creative engagement – making things we care about – to inspire deeper learning and a classroom culture of creativity and collaboration. ​
What to Expect
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DESIGN a project that integrates into your curriculum to support student creativity, high engagement, and deeper learning.
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STRENGTHEN your skills at using exhibitions of learning to inspire deeper student engagement with your curriculum.
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LEARN alongside colleagues and master teaching artists in hands-on workshops.
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REJUVENATE and have fun – guaranteed!
​Who Should Attend?
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PreK-12 educators in humanities, STEM, physical education, visual art, and music.
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​Individuals or teams.
Earn three graduate credits
or 40 hours of relicensing credits.
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2025 Courses
A Culture of Creative & Deeper Learning
Arts-Infused Project-Based Learning
For Educators in all Grades & Content Areas
Explore how arts-infused PBL can strengthen student voice and agency, inspire high engagement and deeper learning, and build a classroom culture of creativity and collaboration. ​Through hands-on workshops with expert PBL educators and master teaching artists you will leave with a project ready to launch.
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The Art of Installations
Celebrating Student Creativity in your School & Community
For K-12 Visual Art Teachers
Refuel your passion for art-making, collaborate with fellow art teachers, capitalize on and strengthen the ways the art room can be an oasis for regulation and well-being, delve into the power of large scale art installations to share and celebrate your students' creative voice, and build a project plan for creating an art installation in your school or community.
Theatre Tools for the Inspired Classroom
Animating Questions & Bringing Answers to Life
For Middle and High School Educators
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As a child, our very understanding of the world is accelerated by theatre tools within our grasp – playful inquiry, imaginative discovery, and creative collaboration. ​In this class of learning-by-doing, you’ll remember the pleasure of these teacher-friendly tools and advance your use of them in shaping an engaged community of learners and building a dynamic project ready to launch.
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Circus For Everyone!
What Kid Doesn't Want to Run Away to the Circus?
For PE Educators in Grades K-6
This course is for K-6 physical education teachers who want to design and lead a circus arts unit that is accessible at any degree of ableness, creates a culture of physical literacy, and most especially is super fun!
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Nurturing Artists & Innovators
in the Music Ensemble
Where Does Re-creation End and Creation Begin?
For Music Educators Who Lead Ensembles
This course is for music educators looking to strengthen and diversify their musical skills and learn collaborative practices for their ensembles that spark engagement and nurture student creativity and agency. ​
No prior experience in jazz, improvisation, composition, or songwriting is required.
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Activating the Art in Language Arts
with River Gallery School
For K-6 Educators
Collaborate with River Gallery School teaching artists in hands-on workshops that use creative engagement – making things we care about – to deepen student engagement and learning in your Language Arts curriculum.
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This course runs 3 days in Burlington @ UVM / JUN 25-27 and
2 days in Brattleboro @ River Gallery School / DEC 6 & MAR 7
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Creativity, Circuits, and Stories
Bringing Stories to Life With Creativity, Circuits, and Code
For Librarians, English Language Arts, and STEM Educators in Grades 3-12
Discover the magic of combining literature with technology and leave with the confidence to guide students in designing creative projects that deepen their engagement with literature using circuits and codes.
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From Field to Classroom:
Poetry, Illustration, and Deep Observation
How Can Studying the Natural World Spark Poetry That Cultivates Care, Wonder, and Action?
For 6-12 Educators
Of particular interest to English, Social Studies, STEM, and Art teachers.
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Through practicing and strengthening our powers of observation, through drawing, research, and experimentation with language, we will write our own poems—and build a customized project plan for your students to write poetry that amplifies their voice and climate activism.
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Weaving the Fabric of Belonging
How can everyday creative practices foster a thriving classroom of healthy relationships, high engagement, and deeper learning?
For Educators in all Grades & Content Areas
Through hands-on workshops with master teaching artists you will explore how the threads of relationships, resources, and support in your classroom and school can be woven together, strengthened, and celebrated to build a healthier and more engaged classroom..
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What Educators Say
This was one of the most POWERFUL courses of professional development that I have ever taken part in.
– 2024 PDL Participant
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The Details
2025 Project Design Lab
June 23-27 / 9:00am - 4:00pm
University of Vermont / Burlington
Tuition
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$2,000 - Three graduate credits (syllabus)
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$1,790 - Certificate of Participation for 40 hours relicensing credits
$100 later registration fee after May 1.
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Tuition includes a private air-conditioned dorm room with a centrally located private bath at the University of Vermont, plus breakfast and lunch. Everyone is on their own for dinner in Burlington. Lodging is optional.​
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Attend Solo or as a Team
You can attend solo or with a team from your school. Teams can be composed of any combination of educators (classroom teachers, councilors, paras, special educators, staff, administrators) and can be from the same grades and content areas, or mixed.
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Teaching Artist Residency - OPTIONAL
Teaching artist residencies are optional. If you would like information on selecting and scheduling a teaching artist to co-lead with you the implementation of your project, please complete the PDL Questions Form and we'll be in touch.​
FAQ
Visit the PDL FAQ page for answers to questions about team participation, tuition & fees, lodging & meals, daily schedule, teaching artist selection (optional), and more.
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Project Snapshots
See examples of previous projects created at the Project Design Lab here.
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Questions?
Complete the PDL Questions Form and we'll be back in touch soon.
We invite you to let us know about specific accommodations you may need to participate in the Project Design Lab when completing your Registration Form, and we will make every effort to honor your request.
Accrediting Institution
