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Creativity Core Curriculum

Program

Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel
Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs & Director, MS Health Communication Design

Creative Making Workshops

Creative Making Workshops are distinct experiences of 3–5 hours in length that provide students with the opportunity, materials, guidance and time to experiment in a risk-free environment in absence of expectations and deadlines. Workshop experiences require no prior topic knowledge, and participation results in the development of a unique artifact—whether tangible, digital, performative or conceptual. Students complete two of these experiences during their time at Jefferson.

Topics for these workshops draw inspiration from a wide range of disciplines, and instructors are experts in their fields. Students may opt to learn about anything from video storytelling to data visualization to singing and beyond!

In a typical year, the Creativity Core Curriculum offers over 125 Creative Making Workshops. The highly diverse workshop topics are designed to offer students an opportunity to experiment with creative skills building in an unfamiliar area to support experimentation and creative confidence. Additionally, at least 20% of Creative Making Workshops have a connection to diversity, equity and inclusion. This is defined as a Creative Making Workshop that, as a primary focus:

  1. represents interests and views of non-dominant cultures and people and/or
  2. directly encourages thinking and behaviors that support the valuation of diversity, equity and inclusion

Recent Student Opportunities

  • Philadelphia School of Circus Arts coaches teach students about success, failure and perseverance.
  • Students experiment with screen printing and woodblock printing with guidance from the Fabric Workshop and Museum.
  • Students use creative techniques to identify 1,000s of plants.
  • A local artisan provides hands on instruction about the history of Pennsylvania German redware pottery.
  • Students experiment with the physical properties of light.
  • A tour of Eastern State Penitentiary inspires creative discussion about prison labor.
  • The James Turrell Skyspace provides an immersive experience.

Step Into the Spotlight: Exploring Acting

“I felt that we were able to express ourselves in a way other classes don’t have the space for.”

A Guide to Eating for Well-Being in College​

“The instructor was very engaging and I really enjoyed the subject matter. It changed my mindset around food and nutrition.”​

From Industrial to Bucolic: Exploring the History of Historic Rittenhousetown & Paper Making

“As an international student, it was really interesting for me to learn a lot more about history and paper making in the US. I am so thankful. ”​

Sing, Sing, Sing!

“I liked the lesson and performance aspect. I never learned the basics of singing so learning breath control, diction, and phrasing really helped me see singing in a new light. I never knew how much thought went into this form of art and putting it into practice really drove home the point.” 

Signs of Humanity: Lessons from Three Decades of Buying Homeless Signs

“I liked how compassionate the instructor was and how he went about the workshop. I was very engaged and learned a lot about what home really was.” 

Mindfulness Drawing: Discovering Zentangle®

“I liked how relaxing the practice of zentangles was, I was able to focus on the lines we were making rather than the thoughts in my head.”

Experimenting with Scents: Creating a Fragrance

“I learned a lot of background information regarding fragrance during the first portion of the workshop. We then applied this information by experimenting with different scents to create an ideal fragrance using our creativity."

The Tombstone Project: The Art of Epitaph

“I liked going over what everyone would want on their tombstones. I feel like it gave everyone a chance to be creative and think about what impact they want to leave behind on earth.”

The Mane Talk: A Walkthrough on Natural Hair

“I felt that it was a safe space to talk about our personal experiences on our topic and was informational. It was nice to have a space that was encouraging of Black hair care.”

Drawing with a Beginner’s Mind

“I liked getting a chance to draw and putting what we learned to practical use. I also liked how we were challenged to see ordinary things from a different perspective.”

Write and Give a Talk

“I liked how Mr. Foley, made us feel comfortable and helped us work on our public speaking. I think that it was very nice of him to help us overcome the problems that we've had with public speaking.”

Drum It Out!

“I really enjoyed listening and thinking about my own soundtrack of life, it really got me thinking and gave me good strategies for stress relief.”

Tap Dance Fundamentals

“I loved being able to make mistakes without feeling embarrassed or judged. ” ​

Both/And Thinking: A Key to Solving Today’s Social Dilemmas

“I like how it applied to my life right now and actually helped me in a current situation I’m dealing with.”

Please view a full listing of our Fall '26 offerings below:

CREATIVE MAKING WORKSHOPS: FALL 2026 (PDF)

Note: For further information or questions related specifically to the Creative Making Workshops, please contact Dr. Michael Brody at Michael.Brody@jefferson.edu. General questions may be directed to creativity@jefferson.edu.