The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Living & Learning Community is still accepting students for this year’s cohort
For first-year students who want to immerse themselves in a group of inventors, creatives and risk-takers, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Living and Learning Community (IELLC) is seeking fresh faces to join the ranks and turn their ambitions into reality.
Everyone has their own definition of innovation and entrepreneurship. When applying to the program, students are asked to define the term for themselves. But its meaning does not stop there. By design, the IELLC is meant to bring together artists, collaborators, managers, provocateurs, marketers and critical thinkers. Through hands-on learning and community-building, students have the chance to learn where they fit in an entrepreneurial team while building lifelong relationships with other passion-driven thinkers like themselves.
Whether exploring the immersive exhibits of Meow Wolf Denver, solving a challenging escape room, or playing an intense game of kickball, every activity IELLC students take part in ties back to the program’s central theme: curiosity.
Students in an IELLC workshop
“The IELLC consists of curious and enthusiastic learners who love to explore the world around them,” said Michael Caston, faculty director of the Living and Learning Community. “This non-traditional classroom allows for a freedom of thought and expression for first-year students of any discipline to apply what they are learning to make a difference right here and now.”
Living and Learning Communities, by design, are meant to foster a kind of togetherness regardless of major, minor, background or experience. Whatever their discipline, the program is open and inclusive to whatever brand of entrepreneurship students might identify with.
Along with a robust lineup of excursions and retreats, the LLC provides workshops that incorporate real-world learning into the curriculum. Students learn practical skills, such as prototyping and business modeling, while also developing soft skills, such as pitching and creatively solving problems. Students can choose the workshops and speakers that best cultivate their own entrepreneurial journey. “Students completing the program develop lifelong friendships and come away with the necessary tools, experiences and abilities to make positive changes in the world,” Caston said.
With two quarters left in the 2021–22 school year, plenty of memories are yet to be made in the months ahead. First-year students of any discipline are invited to apply!
If you or a creative in your life are interested in learning more, contact Michael Caston.