Reimagine Engineering Summit
Reimagine Engineering Summit
March 14-15, 2019
Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA
Valparaiso University is proud to present the third annual Reimagine Engineering Summit. At Disney Parks, innovation is the norm and creativity comes naturally. What better place is there to rediscover your inspiration and passion for teaching? We are looking for educators that are passionate about inspiring the next generation of great students and filling them with a boundless enthusiasm for what can be. We seek to build cohorts of professors dedicated to improving education, sharing ideas, and telling stories. The summit will feature a two day, inspirational program by Disney Youth Programs as we examine the best ways to reimagine engineering. Contact Mark.Budnik@valpo.edu with questions.
Registration is closing. Please call 219.464.5054 for inquiries.
- Inspirational Disney hands-on workshops on innovation, leadership, and teamwork
- Presentations by Cast Members on Disney’s approach to training
- Backstage experiences to spark your imagination
- Onstage / backstage tour of Disneyland Resort
- Best practice sessions
- Tickets to Disneyland Park and Disneyland California Adventure Park
- VIP access to special Disneyland Resort entertainment offerings and unique experiences which only Disney can provide
Thursday, March 14, 2019 |
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| 8:30 | Check-in. |
| 9:00 | Tour of Disneyland Park. Go onstage and backstage as you explore how creativity and innovation have shaped happiest place on earth. |
| 11:30 | The Three Pillars of Disney Youth Programs: Inspire, Educate, Transform. An interactive, opening plenary talk like you have never seen before. |
| 12:00 | Lunch. |
| 1:30 | Dream, Create, Do Workshop – See the Disneyland project development life cycle in action as a Disney leader takes you through the stages of idea concept, design, technology creation, production, and sustainability through case studies and park experiences. |
| 4:00 | Best Practices in Reimagining Engineering – Presentations from Cast Members and previous cohorts on their efforts in the past year. |
| 6:00 | Mixer and Dinner. |
| 8:00 | VIP entertainment. |
Friday, March 15, 2019 |
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| 6:15 | Check-in. |
| 6:30 | Early Morning Attraction Walkthrough. Go behind the scenes of one of Disneyland Resort’s marquis attractions before the resort opens. See how the attraction went from concept to reality. Learn about the technology that makes the magic happen. |
| 8:00 | Properties of Motion. Head to Disney California Adventure Park to experience the role engineering plays in developing Disney’s most thrilling attractions. |
| 11:00 | Disneyland Like a Student. Experience how Disneyland Resort can be used as the largest interactive laboratory for teaching students about engineering (includes lunch). |
| 1:30 | Disney’s Approach to Cast Member Development. Learn more about Disney University and their approach to education. |
| 3:00 | Continue the Magic with Your Students. This interactive session explores how you can Reimagine Engineering with your students. |
| 5:30 | Inspiration. A fitting close to the workshop, this session will push you to remain ever diligent in your quest for daily inspiration in your work and your vocation. |
| 7:30 | VIP entertainment. |
Note, all events subject to change
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- Check-in for the summit is scheduled to start at 8:30am on Thursday, March 14th, and the program will start promptly at 9:00am.
- Activities last through dinner and evening VIP entertainment selections on Thursday and Friday.
- The workshop will primarily be held backstage at Disneyland Park. Parts of the program, however, will be embedded onstage at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
- Price of the workshop includes all program events and two-day park hopper tickets to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
- Price of the workshop is $699. Late registration (after February 1st, 2019) will be $749.
- This summit will sell out. Please register early to ensure your place.
Since 2011, Valparaiso University has been incorporating trips and lessons from Disney Parks into our engineering classes. Here are some of the participating faculty’s reflections on their experience.
“Last year’s Reimagining Engineering Summit was an amazing and powerful experience. It both recharged me about education, and gave me so many new lenses and insights into engineering design and creativity that I have directly applied to my courses. Without any hesitation I recommend this program to engineering educators.”
“We were a very diverse group in terms of years of experience and position at our institutions and yet the program coordinators, the venue, and our shared desire to improve engineering education had us all working together as though we had been for years. I really enjoyed how quickly we all fell in together, worked together and learned together.”
Kenneth
“An amazing experience. The Disney staff were inspiring and the location is magical. I especially enjoyed interacting with and learning from the other engineering professors. I left feeling newly motivated, and with a long list of ideas and activities to help “reimagine” my engineering courses. I plan on returning!”
Tracy
“The trip was phenomenal for providing insight into Disney’s approach to engineering and innovation by providing a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes operations of the Disney Corporation. Mark’s work in bringing this opportunity to so many students and faculty provides them with an enormous advantage.”
“Participating in the Disney trip helped me to be a better professor in many ways. It opened my eyes to the importance of creativity and fun in motivating students, it helped me to recognize new and different ways to teach my students about teamwork, and it helped me to think about ways of helping my students to practice their leadership skills at the same time they are developing their technical skills.”
“I was given the opportunity to participate in one of the Disney trips with Valparaiso University’s College of Engineering as a mentor. Over the 4-5 days at Disney, I saw eyes being opened and mind’s being revitalized with excitement for engineering, leadership and creativity. It was the experience of a lifetime for myself and for the students; something whose lessons will help us grow as innovators and leaders in the field of engineering.”
“By attending Valparaiso University’s College of Engineering Disney trip, I have been blessed with many opportunities to not only learn techniques and aspects of more effective problem-solving, but I’ve also seen students discover these techniques for themselves. Teaching a group of students takes leadership, communication, and creativity, qualities that not everyone may feel that they readily possess. My experiences with Disney have shown me that these qualities can be learned, practiced, and in turn, taught. Through Disney’s leadership workshop, I learned that there is not one “correct” way to be a leader. As each student learns and thrives differently, the method in which we lead them may also vary. Improvisation and teamwork classes emphasized that communication must effectively convey the teacher’s purpose; but more importantly, it must convey that this purpose is meaningful. Creating a positive rapport with the students can greatly inspire their passion for the subject material. Solving problems is rarely an easy task and often requires creativity. Looking at the problem from different angles, mixing things up a bit, and using your imagination can lead to a shorter path to solving the problem. In leading a group of students, it is our job to help them prove to themselves that they have the ability to utilize these same qualities to become the best students and engineers that they can be.”
Interested in extending the magic? Through the generous support of Disney Youth Programs, contact us to find out how you can add days to your visit to Disneyland Resort at a substantial discount. Bringing a guest? We can help with that, too.
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