2025 Institute for Creative Teaching

“Painted 3D Cardboard House” | This workshop will engage participants in the creation of a Painted 3D Cardboard House using a variety of tools, materials, and techniques. This workshop will involve cutting, painting, and assembling. Participants will learn more about the artist’s techniques, approaches, and philosophy in art while working together to create their own personal work of 3D art. In addition, specific design emphasis and exploration will be given to creating a visual manifestation of our feelings, thoughts, and ideas, surrounding “home.”

“Moving Home” | This dance-based workshop invites educators to explore the theme of "home" through movement. Participants will begin with a Brain Dance warm-up to activate both body and mind, followed by improvisational exercises that connect personal experiences of "home" to physical movement. Educators are encouraged to bring a sentimental item or photo to inspire their movement. The workshop will conclude with a collaborative dance, incorporating movements created by participants. This session fosters creativity, self-expression, and reflection, providing educators with valuable tools for personal growth and enhanced classroom engagement.

“The Book of Where I'm From” | This workshop will explore how where we grow up defines us, providing teachers with useful applications for allowing students to contemplate their own connections to home and identity. Drawing upon prompts, participants will journey through various writing exercises. Participants should arrive with writing implements.

“Art and Adornment” I Wearable art and adornment are endemically tied to place and environment. Early humanoids found shells with natural holes and stalks of seagrass on the beach, and by threading the shell with this natural fiber.... a necklace was born! These wearable objects mark a specific place and a specific time. In this workshop participants will be inspired to do the same thing as our early ancestors, making wearable art from natural found objects. The earth is our home, and she provides all we need to be part of the human family. Participants are encouraged to bring their own treasured objects to make them into unique wearable art. A twig can become a bracelet. A rock can be the focus of a necklace. A collection of seashells can adorn your head to be worn as a crown. Combined with a variety of objects and metals supplied by the instructor, our artwork will be specific to this conference and our shared communal studio. We will make wearable art specific to our time together. 

“Our Microscopic Worlds: What Tiny Things Share Our Homes?” | Participants will explore the tiny creatures that they share the spaces they consider home with, e.g., what lives in/on your body (eyelash mites, microbiome, stomach bacteria), what lives with you in your house, in your yard (pollen, microfungi), in the dirt you live on, the water you rely on, and etc. How do these microbes and other tiny creatures shape your home, what is your relationship with them? What are the hidden things that coexist in your home that you may not notice. We will discuss these unseen forces that create homes with us, around us and with each other. Then participants can choose a couple of these that impact their home and or each other's homes to sculpt with fimo clay and I will bake them in the classroom in a toaster ov

“Abstract Imaginism Canvas Painting” | This workshop will engage participants in the creation of an Abstract Imaginism Canvas Painting using a variety of tools, materials, and techniques. We will explore the essence, philosophy, and purpose of “Abstract Imaginism,” a style of art that I created using mixed media painting techniques. During this workshop, the participants will learn more about the artist’s techniques, approaches, and philosophy in art while working together to create their own personal work of art. In addition, specific design emphasis and exploration will be given to creating a visual manifestation of our feelings, thoughts, and ideas, surrounding “home.”

“The Silhouette Project:  Home + Place” I This dynamic workshop explores the elements of home and place that have shaped your identity. It involves mapping and constructing personal histories through visual and written storytelling, developing individual silhouettes, and enriching them with your experiences from a particular moment in time and location.

“Building Connected Communities: The Cultivate Session” | THE CULTIVATE SESSION is a multi-sensory, multi-art session exploring workplace connection and belonging through centering individual imagination and creation as a practice for building connected communities. Participants will cultivate connection and belonging through guided, embodied practice that includes movement, writing, and expressive improvisation that creates space for individual reflection and collective community-building. WHO IS THE CULTIVATE SESSION FOR? For ICT participants interested in furthering their understanding of connectedness and belonging as key components of their professional well-being and success. Participants will learn to identify perceived barriers to their understandings of connectedness in their professional environments. Through dialogue, writing, and creative practice, participants will gain exposure to and experience with strategies to increase professional connectedness. Participants will learn skills for engaging in creative practices to achieve goals related to their professional well-being and success.

“The Fabric of Home: Interlacing Personal Maps into Community Art” | In this communal weaving project, each participant will create a “Map of Home” on fabric or paper strips, which will be interwoven into a shared tapestry. This is a profound way to symbolize unity and shared experiences, and to embody the ways in which each community is uniquely made up of the sum of its different parts, each of our Maps of Home. This project underscores the ever-changing meaning of home and belonging as we navigate the different spaces we occupy and the people we encounter through our lives. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of photos or other printed papers to use for their collages (although some will be provided) and any small objects that would express their story to attach to their Map of Home. Glue, beads, paper, glitter, stamps, ink, markers, scissors and other materials will be provided along with the individual weaving strips.

“Shadow Theatre: SHARING our PLACES” | Participants will reflect on what makes them feel at home. Following demonstrations of acting in silhouette and using an overhead projector to project images, they will design a space in light, color and shadow. In small groups, participants will use their designs and act in shadow to create short, immersive presentations on the places they cherish and how to invite others to share those spaces. At the end, each group will share their presentation and reflections about the experience.

“Creating Protective Symbols/Creatures with Fabric Collage” | Participants will explore what makes them feel safe, happy and comfortable in spaces they consider home. What are these places? Why do certain things make us feel good in our spaces we call our “homes” or our “places”? We will brainstorm and discuss, then create a protective creature that will help keep us safe in our spaces. Many cultures decorate their homes with protective symbols. After sharing imagery of protective symbols and forms, we will use fabric collage to create personal protective creatures or symbols on tagboard.

“The Moving Classroom: Cultivating Belonging Through Dance” | This interactive workshop explores how dance and movement can enrich classroom experiences, fostering expression, engagement, and inclusivity. Through guided movement explorations, embodied storytelling, and collaborative movement-making, participants will reflect on how movement helps individuals feel seen, valued, and heard. Educators will gain practical strategies to integrate dance into their teaching, creating environments that honor diverse student experiences and cultivate a deeper sense of belonging and connection.

“Parfleche Workshop” | During this workshop, participants will design and create their own wearable piece—either a pair of earrings or a keychain—using parfleche-style techniques and motifs. The name "parfleche" was initially used by French fur traders and derives from the French language parer meaning "to parry" or "to defend", and flèche meaning "arrow". "Parfleche" was used to describe tough rawhide shields carried by Plains Indian warriors but was later used primarily for decorated rawhide containers. Plains Indian tribes often had an abundant source of hides in the buffalo they hunted, but, as they were nomadic, they had little opportunity to tan the skins. Parfleche, or rawhide, was prepared by cleaning and dehairing the skin and then by stretching it and allowing it to dry in the sun. This process created a stiff but durable leather that was used for many items, including bags, boxes, envelopes, and war shields. Designs historically consisted of geometric shapes and symbols in primary colors. Today, many contemporary Plains Indian artists evolved the idea of parfleche by making earrings, bracelets, wallets, etc. 

“Creating a Culture of Native Plant Restoration” | Led by Jim Tolstrup, Executive Director of the High Plains Environmental Center in Loveland, CO, this workshop invites participants to explore the concept of Place through an ecological and cultural lens—examining the deep interrelationships between native plants, wildlife, and the people who have historically and presently inhabited the land. Jim will share how communities can foster biodiversity and sustainability even in the heart of development. Participants will learn how land is not simply a commodity but a vibrant, interconnected community—and how we can all become stewards of this living system.

The 2025 Institute for Creative Teaching will take place June 10, 11, and 12 at the University of Northern Colorado from 8:00am-3:30pm each day. 

Registration covers the cost of the entire program - June 10th, 11th, and 12th. Early bird registration opens on March 12th, 2025, and runs through May 1st, 2025, at a discounted rate of $185. After May 1st, regular registration will be $200 and will remain open until May 24th or until capacity is reached.

Scholarships: If you are a Denver Public Schools, a teacher in a rural community, or a teacher in the Pikes Peak Region, Think 360 has a limited number of need-based scholarships available. If selected, Think 360 Arts will issue you a promo code to apply at checkout for your registration. Priority Scholarship Deadline is April 25, 2025 and the Official Scholarship Deadline is May 20, 2025. Please find more information and the scholarship application HERE. 

Scholarships are offered through the generous support of Colorado Creative Industries, Denver Public Schools Foundation, and others. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend small group workshops in various forms of visual arts, dance/movement, literary arts, performing arts, and others, through the lens of our annual theme. Specific information on workshop content is coming soon. 

Attendees will sign up for both their morning and afternoon workshops upon arrival each day. Sign-ups will be posted near registration and are available on a first-come first-served basis.

We heard your feedback last year, and on-campus lunch is now included in registration for all 3 days! Coffee will also be provided each morning.

Yes! UNC will be offering 1 graduate level credit for an additional fee of $80. Participants interested in earning graduate credit should indicate it on their registration (513 Continuing Education), and UNC will provide more information on that process leading up to and during the Institute.

Participants who register for continuing education credit will gather for an additional hour at the end of each day of ICT. Learn more HERE. 

Registration fees cover the cost of attending all 3 days. We encourage attendees to take advantage of the variety of workshops and experiences that we’re offering as part of this year’s Institute. 

Parking will be available on site during the Institute, provided at no cost thanks to the College of Visual and Performing Arts.  Please indicate that you plan to park your car on campus when registering. We encourage people to carpool whenever possible. You will receive a parking pass upon day one registration to use throughout the Institute. 

Yes! You will have the option to select and pay for on-campus housing during the registration process. If you’d prefer to rent an Airbnb or hotel in the Greeley area, we can provide recommendations.