Transformative Learning Week spotlights how students can make an impact beyond campus

By VCU News staff

Virginia Commonwealth University's 3rd annual Transformative Learning Week will bring together students, faculty and community partners who are transforming ideas into real-world outcomes through research, service and creative projects.

This year's universitywide showcase of experiential learning in action will be held from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31. The week shines a spotlight on the many ways that students can connect, create and contribute, applying what they learn in class to make an impact beyond campus. Events include panels, workshops, showcases and community activities designed to bring the power of experiential learning to the forefront.

Shanza Isom, director of engaged transformative learning and co-director of VCU Transformative Learning, created Transformative Learning Week to demonstrate that learning is never limited to the classroom at VCU.

More about transformative learning at VCU

"Transformative learning is how a university commits to its community," Isom said. "It's the conviction that our students should not just absorb knowledge, but apply it to solve real-world challenges. It's the belief that we have a responsibility to contribute to positive change with our communities. This week, we celebrate the student mindset that seeks growth - and the community partnerships that turn that growth into meaningful impact and local progress."

The signature event of this year's celebration is the Transformative Learning Info Fair on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Commons Plaza. The fair will allow participants to explore a variety of transformative learning opportunities and meet campus partners. The first 100 students at the event between 10 and 11 a.m. receive free Kona Ice.

Other events will include the Fall and Internship Career Fair; the Vertically Integrated Projects Showcase; service events with older adults, Richmond Public Schools and Ram Pantry; and activities related to VCU Globe and community engagement, among many others.

"Transformative learning is about doing, reflecting, applying and evolving - how you engage with challenges, how you seek solutions to problems, how you find answers to questions that aren't found in the back of the book," said Herb Hill, Ed.D., assistant vice provost for undergraduate research and creative inquiry and co-director of VCU Transformative Learning. "This is what our faculty and our students are all about at VCU; it's what they do every day. And we celebrate that during Transformative Learning Week each year."

For the full schedule of events and registration details, visit Transformative Learning Week at VCU.