2026 Institute for Creative Teaching

Elizabeth Stanbro will guide participants through a calming, creative workshop that explores mindfulness through fiber art. Using the repetitive and rhythmic process of slow stitching, participants will be invited to anchor themselves in the present moment. Through a “Drawing Breath” exercise—where mark-making is paired with the inhale and exhale—participants will create simple designs that will serve as patterns for their embroidery. Blending reflection with hands-on making, this session will encourage relaxation, focus, and a sense of ease while introducing accessible techniques for meditative art-making.

Led by Laine Hodges, this session is designed to help us connect, reset, and rejuvenate through the power of play and improv. Using simple, accessible group exercises and games (no acting experience or scene work required), we’ll experience how improv is a restorative, healing practice that reduces stress, builds resilience, and cultivates genuine joy. In a supportive, low-pressure environment, we’ll practice listening, letting go of perfection, and responding with curiosity, which are skills that translate directly into more connected, flexible, and responsive teaching. Participants will leave with ready-to-use activities that foster belonging, confidence, and emotional well-being in the classroom, while also giving ourselves the gift of play, presence, and renewal.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy will led this reflective, hands-on workshop. Participants will engage in a meditative “deep looking” exercise using a simple, natural object inviting them to explore observation through all five senses. A guided discussion on interconnectedness and community will folloow, drawing inspiration from ecological perspectives and the hidden relationships within forests. Participants will reflect on how the marks and “scars” on their sticks tell a story of resilience and growth, paralleling our own lived experiences.

The workshop will also introduce the concept of repair as an art form, inspired by practices that highlight rather than hide imperfections. Participants will then creatively “dress” their sticks using a variety of materials, transforming them into expressive, personalized objects that celebrate individuality, healing, and beauty in imperfection.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy will begin with a brief slideshow introduction to their work, followed by a discussion on practices that support emotional regulation and stress relief, including the roles of nature, art, and patterns. Participants will explore the impact of fractals and natural patterns on well-being, and consider how these elements show up in the world around us.

Facilitated by Lainie Hodges, this session is designed to help us connect, reset, and rejuvenate through the power of play and improv. Using simple, accessible group exercises and games (no acting experience or scene work required), we’ll experience how improv is a restorative, healing practice that reduces stress, builds resilience, and cultivates genuine joy. In a supportive, low-pressure environment, we’ll practice listening, letting go of perfection, and responding with curiosity, which are skills that translate directly into more connected, flexible, and responsive teaching. Participants will leave with ready-to-use activities that foster belonging, confidence, and emotional well-being in the classroom, while also giving ourselves the gift of play, presence, and renewal.

Facilitated byTony Ortega, participants will explore how toner transfer processes can support themes of healing, repair, and wellness in the art classroom. Each session is designed for a different group and offers hands-on engagement with image transfer as a way to rework, layer, and transform visual material.

Participants will use high-contrast drawings, photographs, and digital images to create transfers that emphasize memory, translation, and material change. Through experimentation, image-making becomes a process of revision and reconstruction, opening space for reflection and storytelling.

Facilitated byTony Ortega,  participants will explore stencil monotype processes as a way to engage themes of healing, repair, and wellness in the art classroom. Each session is designed for a different group and emphasizes hands-on, process-based printmaking as a space for reflection, experimentation, and visual renewal.

Through layering, masking, and image transfer, participants will create monotypes that embrace imperfection, variation, and change. The stencil becomes a tool for both revealing and concealing, allowing images to shift, fragment, and re-form. This process foregrounds making as a form of care, where revision, repetition, and transformation open space for reflection and emotional expression.

The 2026 Institute for Creative Teaching will take place June 9, 10, and 11 at the University of Northern Colorado from 8:00am-3:30pm each day. 

Registration covers the cost of the entire program - June 9th to 11th.  Early bird registration opens on March 16th, 2026, and runs through May 1st, 2026 at a discounted rate of $190. After May 1st, regular registration will be $205 and will remain open through May 24th or until capacity is reached. 

Yes! We have a limited number of need-based scholarships available for teachers in a rural communities, Denver Public Schools, and the Pikes Peak region. Scholarships offer either a fully- or partially- reduced registration cost of $65 (normally $195-$205).

 The Priority Deadline to submit your application is April 30th.

If selected, you'll receive a promo code to use at checkout for your registration. The final deadline to apply is May 26th but we encourage you to apply early for best consideration. Please find more information and the scholarship application by clicking HERE.

Please note: If you are applying for a scholarship you do not need to wait to register for ICT, but please wait to submit your payment until you have been notified about your scholarship award status. Scholarship promo codes can be applied after ICT registration, but they cannot be applied after payment is issued.

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. Instructor roster and workshop descriptions 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.

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. 

You will have the option to select and pay for a parking pass during the registration process. The parking pass will be $7 per day. You will receive your parking pass upon check in on day one to use throughout the Institute. We encourage people to carpool whenever possible. 

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.