Faculty & Staff
Bring creativity, collaboration, and innovation to your work.
At the da Vinci Center, innovation is a shared practice that connects teaching, learning, and collaboration. We help faculty and staff explore creativity and design thinking in ways that bring ideas to life.
As VCU faculty, we can help you experiment with new teaching approaches, co-create experiences that spark curiosity, and help students apply creativity to real-world challenges. As VCU staff, we can help you strengthen collaboration, reimagine processes, and partner with students to design solutions that improve programs, systems, and experiences.
Together, we can create a culture of innovation, one where creativity fuels learning, growth, and meaningful change across VCU.
Bring creativity to your class or team through hands-on learning. Whether you want to energize a course, explore new teaching tools, or introduce design thinking to your department, we’ll help you make it happen. Here’s how to get started:
Time: Under 2 hours
Experience hands-on sessions in Design Thinking, LEGO® Serious Play®, or Prototyping. Build creative confidence, connect with colleagues, and learn practical tools you can use in your classroom or workplace.
Time: Adaptable to your class length
Invite da Vinci facilitators to lead an interactive session using LEGO® Serious Play® or Design Thinking. We’ll help students connect creativity to real-world challenges and build career-ready skills, earning digital badges to showcase their skills.
Time: Adaptable to your preferred length
Partner with the da Vinci Center to design a session tailored to your team’s needs. We’ll help you apply design thinking and creative approaches to your goals, sparking new ideas and collaboration across your unit.
Time: Flexible, short modules
Explore free, self-paced online courses in Design Thinking, Prototyping, Pitching and Storytelling or Business Model Canvas. Each module gives you practical tools you can apply in your classroom, team, or personal projects.
Work with students and faculty to explore real-world challenges. Whether you want to connect your class to community impact or have your team tackle a challenge with fresh perspectives, these collaborations help ideas turn into action. Here are some pathways:
Time: 2+ Hours
Work with us to design and facilitate a creative session that brings together students, faculty, and community partners around your challenge. We handle the planning and facilitation while you connect your course or department to real-world problem solving.
Time: 4-5 hours over 15 weeks
Partner with interdisciplinary student teams in University College courses to explore your challenge in depth. Students will research, ideate, and prototype solutions, while you provide feedback at key milestones. You’ll receive insights, deliverables, and documentation to inform next steps.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Meet with da Vinci facilitators to think through your idea, challenge, or new project. Whether you’re reimagining a process, exploring a new approach, or brainstorming something big, we’ll help you clarify your vision and find creative ways to move forward. Email us at davincicenter@vcu.edu to schedule.
Turn curiosity into community. Join events, share ideas, and connect with others who are building, designing, and dreaming alongside you. Here’s how to get involved:
Time: Flexible, short modules
From Feedback Fridays and Demo Days to design jams, da Vinci events are where ideas come alive. Meet innovators, share your work, and find new collaborators.
Monday–Wednesday, 12–3 p.m.
Shift Retail Lab, 1235 W Broad Street
Connect with colleagues at da Vinci and University College, and discover new ways to bring creativity into your work. No RSVP needed.
Host a workshop, class, or event at the Shift Retail Lab (1235 W Broad Street) - a dynamic space designed for creativity and collaboration.
Get the latest workshops, design challenges, and stories of creativity from the da Vinci Community delivered straight to your inbox.
Not sure where to start?
We’d love to help you find your next step and explore ways to get involved. Email us at davincicenter@vcu.edu.