The Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations (ELC) at UNC Greensboro’s School of Education hosted the annual Rebecca Carver Institute on Experiential Education on Saturday, October 18, 2025, which also coincided with UNCG’s Homecoming.
The theme of the institute was ‘Connection as Content: Building and Enhancing Relationships through Experiential Education’ and involved educators, nonprofit leaders, researchers, and practitioners from across North Carolina, including teachers from Guilford County Schools and The Experiential School of Greensboro. This year, visiting scholars from the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement program also attended and brought a global perspective to the institute.
The Institute is dedicated to the work Dr. Rebecca Carver started as an ELC professor. The School of Education is deeply appreciative for Dr. Randy Carver’s (Dr. Rebecca’s brother) ongoing support of the institute.
The 2025 Rebecca Carver Institute provided participants with an immersive experience designed to explore the multi-layered relationships present within experiential education pedagogy. Dr. Frannie Varker and Dr. Evan Small, alumni of the ELC Ph.D. in Educational Studies and Cultural Foundations program, served as convenors of this year’s gathering. They sought to provide an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of the ways experiential education fosters relationships and connections between learners, educators, content, and communities. The event was open to community members and educators in formal and informal settings who are interested in integrating experiential education into their practice. A portion of the Institute focused on building capacity for educators and learners in schools and community organizations and envisioning what a statewide network of experiential educators could become.
Fulbright scholar attendees shared that the Institute was one of the most impactful professional development experiences they had during their month-long stay at UNCG, and they were especially excited to see connections to their teaching practice in their home countries. Throughout the Institute, attendees were able to participate in sessions, informal conversations, and a visioning activity designed to explore various facets of experiential education, community, and connection as content within educational spaces.
Session titles and presenters were:
*Curiosity in Action: Nurturing Young Minds Through Experiential Education Dr. Denise Brewer and Dr. Andrea Anderson (Appalachian State University)
*Experiences are Stronger When Shared Andrew Florence (Crossnore Communities for Children)
*Experiential Education 101 Dr. Evan Small (Elon University)
*Connection as Content: Fostering Agency, Belonging, and Community Dr. Frannie Varker (Appalachian State University) and Dr. Megan Cayton (UNC Greensboro)
The Rebecca Carver Institute on Experiential Education seeks to inspire, challenge, motivate, and encourage scholars and practitioners alike to envision experiential education within their learning environments. By focusing on foundational principles of experiential education, such as, community, democracy, and relationships, this year’s Institute provided attendees with a deep exploration of the ways in which experiential education can be used to foster meaningful relationships, student agency, and belonging. Future iterations of the Institute will continue to deepen Dr. Rebecca Carver’s work on the positive impact that agency, belonging, and competence can have on educators, practitioners, and communities.
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications
