Add IDEA Courses | Spring 2026 — Register Here!
- IDEA201: Innovation Tools & Mindsets — This one-credit course is offered in-person, hybrid, and asynchronously! It challenges assumptions about innovation and who can be an innovator, encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone, think creatively, and build confidence through hands-on activities and reflection.
- (NEW) IDEA313 Kickstart your career with improv — Try out this one-credit in-person course and learn improvisation skills to help you interview more effectively, land a job, and meet your professional goals. This class is for students looking to improve interpersonal skills, think faster, expand creativity, and become a stronger teammate at work. No experience necessary. All disciplines encouraged!
- IDEA360: 500 friends but no one to play with — This three-credit course helps you connect with others—and yourself—with intention and play to bring more (interest, fun, fulfillment, creativity) into your life. The course feels like a book club and playdates with fieldwork mixed in. You’ll explore how technology, time, and the environment influence connection; reconnect with the power of play; and actively experiment with design skills like noticing and experimentation to build curiosity, confidence, and meaningful connection.
Becoming a Design Thinker | Spring 2026
Becoming a Design Thinker is a hands-on, creativity-fueling learning experience for UMD staff and graduate students who want to create meaningful change and build confidence navigating ambiguity. Through engaging, in-person sessions and real-world experimentation, you’ll learn and apply design thinking tools and mindsets to explore challenges, learn from others, synthesize qualitative insights, and test new ideas. Along the way, you’ll collaborate with a team on a design project, strengthen your creative intuition, and develop practical strategies you can apply to your work right away.
To get started, complete the Start Your Innovation Fellows Journey form to express your interest. After you submit, you’ll be invited to schedule a short conversation to explore fit, ask questions, and talk next steps!