Expand your capacity to navigate complex challenges in education, both inside and outside the classroom.
The Teaching & Learning Studio is a weeklong, in-person design workshop for educators. You’ll discover tools to leverage design and reimagine the way you work, whether you teach classes or run programs that work with faculty, staff, and students outside the classroom.
Key benefits
- 5-day immersive experience at the d.school (enjoy the restorative benefits of "escaping" your context for a week!)
- Connections and collaborations with other educators and administrators like you
- Personalized support from the teaching team and peer mentors
- Certificate to honor your learning in the program
- A new outlook, a powerful toolkit, and actionable steps to continue your learning journey
Hit the ground running when you return back to your campus.
Upon completion of the program, you will leave with a plan for using design tools to add value to your work. You might apply design to your own teaching, lead your students through this work, and/or engage colleagues in applying design in the context of a shared program, project or initiative.
Register now
Who should attend
- Higher education faculty (tenure-track, non-tenure track and adjunct/clinical faculty) from both 4- and 2-year post-secondary institutions
- Higher education administrators or leaders (those who serve students and/or faculty at their schools, including program directors and managers, deans, associate deans, provosts, etc) from both 4- and 2-year post-secondary institutions
- K12 educators and administrators
- Not sure if this workshop is right for you? Contact teaching team member Meenu Singh.
Dates & times
July 13-17, 2026 or July 27-31, 2026
Cost
Tuition: $5,000 per person
Financial Support
d.school programs are stronger because we encourage participation from a range of people from a broad variety of backgrounds and perspectives. If you need financial support to participate in this program, please contact dpro@dschool.stanford.edu. Please tell us why this workshop is important to you and why you are applying for aid with the subject line: TLS 2026 Financial Support. Our team will review requests based on availability and contact you with more details.
Location
Hasso Plattner Institute of design (d.school) at Stanford University
550 Panama Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
Alumni testimonials
“My experience at TLS profoundly impacted my work as both an educator and artist. One of my lasting takeaways is that learning can be active, vulnerable, complex and supportive to groups of people with varied backgrounds within the scope of a shared experience.”
— Michelle Swinehart, Portland State University
"Dang - just about everything resonated with me! I am taking a lot back on how to work with my team successfully: I came with the intention of improving my design thinking practice with students, I am leaving with so many powerful exercises and activities to do with my team."
— Emma Arett, 7th Grade Teacher, Dallas Independent School District
“I have been so grounded in reality and solving problems practically that I was missing so many "other" options. Having been in finance and management for so many years, I have worked to make sure that the job was done in a neat and tidy way. TLS helped me to reimagine all of the ways I do things. I am no longer focused on just solving the problem but determining if we even have the correct problem, where the problem is coming from, will this cause additional problems in the future?”
—Anntoinette Barbour, University of Maryland
“The TLS experience opened my mind about how I can show up as an educator, community leader, and human being.” —
Crystal Scott-Tunstall, Grand Valley State University
“The diversity of staff, teachers, and colleagues was amazing. I was in a room full of adult learners seeking to expand design thinking for themselves and others…..I came to the d.school knowing that I would learn. I didn’t know that I would become more fully committed to this life process with each day. Most important for me was being surrounded by brilliant designers both in my colleagues and teachers, allowing great conversations and fun. What a gift this was/is.”
— Kayt Havens, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin
“As most engineering professors, I haven’t had much training on how to teach. Moreover, I haven’t had a lot of understanding how students actually learn. I thought everyone learned just like me. I thought I should teach just like I was taught. Wrong! After TLS, I always start with the learners: who they are, what is their prior knowledge. This is a foundation on which I can build a learning experience, using pedagogical levers and other tools introduced at the workshop.”
— Ilya Avdeev, Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
What does the tuition include?
All instructional materials, lunches, and an abundance of coffee/tea and snacks. Plus life-time membership to a vibrant community of like-minded innovators and exclusive access to alumni events and opportunities.
Is this a residential program? Can I stay on Stanford campus?
You are responsible for arranging your own lodging. Upon acceptance we will share a list of options, including one on campus.
Is this program about design or about improving your teaching?
Both! We will learn design by designing learning experiences. We will put design methods and mindsets to use and explore how we might use them to reimagine the learning experiences of our students.
Can I get a detailed curriculum?
In a traditional workshop you may get a full agenda in advance. This is not a traditional workshop. We have crafted an immersive experience for you and will ensure you get the information you need at the moment you need it. That said, if you have specific questions or if you are wondering if the program is a good fit for you given your interests and experiences, email teaching team member Meenu Singh at meenu@dschool.stanford.edu.
Is this a good fit for me if I already know human-centered design?
In past workshops, we’ve had educators with previous experience practicing and/or teaching design/design thinking. In all cases they reported getting value from their participation. We believe there are several reasons for the program’s enduring value. One is that the d.school methodology evolves and changes in how we teach design, and this workshop is an opportunity to experience some of our latest models and frameworks.
If your experience with design thinking is rooted in the five hexagons process, you may want to read this. Also, designers never stop learning!
Can I apply with colleagues from my institution?
Yes! We see great impact when educators from the same institution attend the program together — whether they work on a joint project, or they are from different departments/units (both cases present specific advantages, and one advantage that applies to both is having allies who have a common language and understanding around design).
Is this program only for educators who are teaching students directly? What if I’m an administrator interested in applying design to my work?
This program is for both. In all past programs we’ve had not only educators who teach students in curricular and co-curricular courses, but also leaders and administrators at all levels – from program managers, directors, department chairs, deans, and even university presidents. Some of them serve and work with students, while others work with faculty and/or other administrators.
Will I receive a certificate?
Upon the close of the program, you will receive a certificate to honor your learning in the program.
