Appalachian Leaders and Learners: Conference on Experiential Learning
Sponsored by the Experiential Learning HUB, UVA Wise Connects, and the Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation.
At this one-day conference, taking place on Saturday, April 22, on the University of Virginia’s College at Wise campus, researchers, community partners, students, and local leaders from across the Appalachian region will come together to explore the ways that institutions can partner in successful ways. The conference will not only highlight the positive impacts of experiential learning (like community engagement, study abroad, undergraduate research, and internships), but also explore ideas around how to evaluate the success of this work.
Registration is completely FREE for students!
Registration for faculty/administration/community partners is only $15.
Proposal Topics
Collectively, we will explore what experiential learning looks like across the Appalachian region. In particular, we imagine proposals around some of the following themes: how to begin an internship program (nonprofit, agency, or business), helping students convert their internships into job offers, how to leverage resources for internships, best practices for impacting the community and creating social change, common challenges in building relationships between campuses and the community, approaches to building sustainable partnerships, expanding accessibility to study abroad experiences, effectively guiding student reflections on their study abroad trips, implementation of research activities in the classroom and laboratory, initiatives to provide enhanced research opportunities for students, engagement for diversity, equity, and inclusion in experiential learning, how to engage non-traditional students in experiential learning, and how to measure and study the impact of experiential learning.
Presentation Formats
Interactive Workshop
An interactive workshop is a 1-hour session and should engage participants in activities that offer insight, practice, or instruction relevant to the topics discussed in the workshop.
Panel/Roundtable Discussion
Panels include a target of three or four panelists and feature active discussions and conversation from various perspectives about a topic. Panels will be scheduled for 60 minutes, composed of 40 minutes of active panel discussion and 20 minutes of interactive questions and answers with the audience.
Individual Presentation
Grouped by Program Committee -- Individual presentations will be grouped around a common focus area or closely related topic. Each individual presentation will be allotted 20 minutes, with at least 5 of those minutes dedicated to active discussion with the audience.
Posters
Posters are best suited to reporting results of research studies, assessments, and evaluations as well as the presentation of translational, educational, service-learning, clinical, or other programs of engaged scholarship or evidence-based practice. Posters will be displayed continuously during an open viewing period. Also, to encourage networking and discussion of the displayed work, at least one author is expected to be present at the poster during the formal session.
Hotel Information
Double Queen rooms are available at the Inn at Wise Friday 4/21 and Saturday 4/22.
Phone: (276- 321-7600)
Special rate: $159
For additional information or questions contact Heather Evans, hke2j@uvawise.edu.