Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute

The Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute is a four-day, team-based design experience that supports campuses in reenvisioning curricula to help students connect purpose in their lives and learning with meaningful career pathways. Design sessions will emphasize understanding “the why” of career purpose, leveraging existing curricular and programmatic resources, and engaging colleagues across divisions to maximize efforts.

The 2026 institute is wholly design-based to promote creativity, bold thinking, and action-oriented collaboration. Guided by expert facilitators and coaches, teams will work together and with colleagues from other institutions to ideate, develop, and curate daily deliverables from design sessions that will culminate in a final action plan.

Who Should Attend

The institute is for campus teams that have identified an imperative for aligning student learning and success with career readiness and purpose. Design sessions will be relevant for teams at all stages of curricular revision, whether launching new initiatives or strengthening and refining existing programs. Teams must include at least one senior leader and should reflect a diversity of campus perspectives. For example, a typical team might include  

• a senior academic officer with budgetary oversight;
• faculty leaders to identify curricular opportunities;
• career center and/or student affairs professionals to connect achievement beyond courses;
• colleagues from the registrar’s office or institutional research to inform evidence-based decision-making and logistical planning;
• advising staff to support meaning-making and pathways; and
• teaching and learning center staff to support professional learning among faculty and staff.

What You'll Gain

By the end of the institute, teams will have deliverables aimed at

• communicating the relevance of integrating career readiness into curricula in alignment with institutional and stakeholder identities;
• reframing faculty and staff mindsets around career-connected learning;
• leveraging existing curricular, human capital, communication, and assessment resources for sustainable implementation and growth; and
• prioritizing action steps for building a broad and inclusive circle of colleagues to support efforts.

Ready to Join Us?

• Form your team. Speak with colleagues and gather insights on who should be included.
• Clarify your focus. Getting a clear sense of what you want to work on during the institute will focus your design time and maximize deliverables.
• Complete the application. This shouldn’t take too long, but the information you provide is essential for helping us understand how best to support your experience.
• Clear your calendar. Though the institute faculty will try to be mindful of the total time spent online each day, we still hope teams will make time offline to gather, reflect, and discuss.