Project Design Lab, Gambill, Summer 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S75
Instructor:	Paul Gambill, M.M.
Location:	In-person at Creative Campus at Goddard & Online
Dates and Times:	June 22, 2026 - May 31, 2027. June 22-26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Goddard. The remainder of the course takes place in an online, independent format.
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	Set by and payable to the Community Engagement Lab

Course Description

Project-Based Learning is about culture building – infusing creativity in the classroom – learning by doing – making things we care about. This course explores how arts-infused PBL can strengthen student voice and agency, inspire deeper learning, and build a classroom culture of creativity and collaboration.

Through hands-on workshops with expert PBL educators and master teaching artists we will model the building blocks of a great project together.

You will leave with a project plan ready to launch. Educators will learn how to design a project that uses creative engagement – making things we care about – to strengthen their students’ engagement with curriculum, deepen their intrinsic motivation to learn, and improve their well-being.

Audience: K-12 educators, with a Bachelors Degree, in all content areas

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals: At the Project Design Lab you will:

DEVELOP skills to lead students to design and implement a project that develops their creative capacities, and strengthens their intrinsic motivation to learn and their individual and classroom well-being.
DISCOVER common links between creative engagement (making things we care about), project-based learning, and individual and collective well-being.
EXPLORE how to invigorate your teaching with innovative approaches to placing creativity at the center of learning.
STRENGTHEN your skills at using performances and exhibitions as learning catalysts in pedagogy, assessment, and portfolio building.
UNDERSTAND how to create a project plan that aims for deeper and more joyful learning.

Course Objectives:

1) Students will know…

What is meant by "creative engagement" as an essential component of learning.

2) Students will understand…

How the work of a creative project informs and advances other crucial learning responsibilities in school and curriculum.
The creative engagement process has potential to be a catalyst to build collective agency, inspire joyfulness, and reflect individual well-being.
How to assess the learning impact of a creative engagement project.

3) Students will do…

Create a project that integrates into your course curriculum using the PDL Project Planner.
Design an evaluation plan to track the impact of your creative project on student engagement and learning.
Reflect on growth by engaging in self-assessment.

Course Schedule

DAY 1

Introductions & charting goals for the week
Creative Warm-up
Workshop: introduction to PBL
Daily Reflection & Tomorrow's Plan

DAYS 2-4

Creative Warm-up
Workshops: scaffolded and sequenced to design your creative project using the PDL Project Planner
Daily Reflection & Tomorrow's Plan

DAY 5

Finalize projects
Gallery Walk: Sharing Your Project
Next steps

Online, in-school, and independent work concluding before May 31, 2027.

Required Readings/Resources

Costs for required readings, if any, may not be included in the course tuition.

The required resources below were chosen very intentionally and even though some are more than 5 years old, they provide valuable historical context and foundational knowledge.

Booth, Eric, and, Gambill, Paul. "Growing the Ultimate Sustainable Crop: Creative Capacity in Vermont Students". Community Engagement Lab, 2017, https://www.communityengagementlab.org/creative-capacity-guide

Booth, Eric. "A Recipe for Artful Learning." ASCD, 1 Feb. 2013, ascd.org/el/articles/a-recipe-for-artful-schooling

Golden, Tasha. "From Absence to Presence: Arts and Culture Help Us Redefine “Health”." Grantmakers in the Arts, 19 Jan. 2022, www.giarts.org/blog/tasha-golden/absence-presence-arts-and-culture-help-us-redefine-health

"What Is the CASEL Framework?" CASEL, 2025, casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

Lucero, Jorge. "Teacher As Artist-in-Residence: The Most Radical Form of Expression to Ever Exist." Jorge Lucero, 2020, www.jorgelucero.com/teacher-as-artistinresidence

For additional course information

Paul Gambill

(802) 595-0087

For additional registration information

This course requires registration with the Community Engagement lab first using the Register Now link below.

Center for Schools Team

(802) 468-1325