Message from the Leadership Team

Dear Parents and Students,

Carillon Communities, a one year living learning program that values teamwork and problem solving, is now inviting its 7th cohort.

We developed Carillon Communities in 2014 to welcome new freshman to campus and provide a launching pad to a meaningful and personal UMD experience. We took the defining elements of living learning programs and the research about practices that support successful transition from high school to college, then we added what we know from our campus experience about academic success and the need for 21st century skills as the basis of our plan. We developed Carillon Communities as a high impact, and compact program. Meaning that the defining elements (close connections with faculty and fellow students, teamwork, creative problem solving, and exploring big questions) are included in our one year program in a manner that does not increase the workload or add “extra” time to the typical freshman year experience. The program fits neatly into the course schedule of freshmen of all majors and allows students to complete some of the required elements of the UMD general education program.

Carillon Communities was designed using the same processes that we teach the Carillon students – by a team, using creative problem solving (also known as design thinking). We are the Carillon Leadership Team. We are devoted to making Carillon Communities valuable, fun, meaningful --- and hopefully transformational for our students.

Sincerely,

Ann C. Smith, PhD
Assistant Dean, Office of Undergradate Studies

Melissa Del Rios
Assistant Director, Carillon Communities

Erica Estrada-Liou
Director of Curriculum and Experiential Learning, Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship