Applications are now open for the Fall 2026 WBLE Course Design Institute.
Would you like to connect with a small cohort of 8-12 faculty who are investigating how to successfully include work-based learning within a course?
The University Career Center, JMU Libraries, and Center for Faculty Innovation have teamed up to offer a semester-long course design institute for faculty who want to integrate or enhance work-based learning experiences embedded within a course.
Four in-person workshops will be offered this fall on Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, and Dec. 4. Each workshop will include a complimentary lunch from noon to 1, focused content from 1-3 pm, and dedicated work time or collaboration from 3-4 pm.
Apply by September 4.
Fall 2026-2027 Support for Faculty Integrating Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) at JMU
Consultations
Instructional Design collaboratively provided by consultants from UCC, CFI, and Libraries Learning Innovations & Design (LID).
Consultants for 2026-2027
UCC: Anna Maria Johnson, Associate Director for Work-Based Learning Experiences
Center for Faculty Innovation: Lori Gano-Overway, CFI Associate
JMU Libraries Learning Innovations & Design: Chelsey Bahlmann Bollinger, Henry Yang, and Juhong Christie Liu
WBLE Practioners Community
Join a community of colleagues who integrate Workplace-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) into their classes. This group is facilitated by Lori Gano-Overway, largely participant-run, and provides opportunities to see what other practitioners are doing (and how), raise and discuss questions of common concern, and receive feedback about one's own practices. Faculty and staff from the JMU University Career Center, Center for Faculty Innovation, and Libraries are available to meet with the group upon request.
The group meets online on Zoom most times, and in person on October 16 and December 4. On the in-person days, participants can stay for lunch together with participants of the WBLE Course Design Institute.
This program is a collaboration between UCC, CFI, and Libraries.
Dates, times, and locations:
9/25 online 11-noon
10/16 in person (SSC 3270), 11-noon; lunch provided afterward
11/6 and 11/20 online, 11-noon
12/4 in person (SSC 3270), 11-noon; lunch provided afterward
https://jmu-edu.zoom.us/j/81562554931?pwd=2UWBgbTe0Sc6focmLcMCK3zAMEFizk.1
2026-2027 Mini-grant Applications Opening Soon!
- Applications for Mini-grants, processed separately, will be accepted on a rolling basis with decisions made by committee in mid-fall, December, February, and April.
Preference is given to proposals that:
- demonstrate an understanding of what work-based learning experiences (WBLE) are at JMU, based on the definition and checklist at Work-Based Learning Experiences
- demonstrate the likelihood of building long-term capacity and sustainability for WBLEs at JMU (ie. A course that is offered regularly versus a one-time course, or a proposal that demonstrates potential for scaling to multiple sections).
- include an external partner (may be a nonprofit, business, industry, organization, or individual expert in the field; may include partners within JMU beyond the classroom)
Fall 2025 WBLE Faculty Fellowship Program
Congratulations to the nine faculty members who participated in the pilot WBLE Faculty Fellows program in Fall 2025!
Each participant designed or redesigned a class to integrate the WBLE definition and criteria, participated in four professional development workshops, and gave and received feedback on others' ideas throughout the semester in small groups and/or pairs. Their work contributed to our repository of work-based learning design examples to share with others.
The Fall 2025 Program included four in-person professional development sessions with additional virtual activities to complete between sessions (about 40 hours total throughout the fall semester). Participants received a stipend of $3,000 for their time and participation. In exchange, they will share their learning at an event, workshop, and/or share materials for the online WBLE toolkit and course design repository on Microsoft Teams.
In-person session dates (Fridays 1–3pm):
9/19 – Session One: Introducing WBLE Examples & Best Practices
10/17 – Session Two: Recruiting and Relating to External Partners
11/14 – Session Three: Instructional Design Focus
12/5 – Session Four: Sharing Designs, Receiving Peer Feedback
2025-2026 WBLE Mini-Grant Recipients
Congratulations to the 2025-2026 WBLE Mini-Grant recipients!
In our first year of providing funds for work-based learning experiences, we received many more proposals than we were able to fund. Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal, as each one enriched the WBLE program.
The following faculty were chosen to receive funds to support the design and/or implementation of new or enhanced work-based learning experiences for their courses:
Diana Gararreta-Aima / SPAN 494 Medical Spanish in the Community
Jennifer Lang-Rigal / SPAN 404 Spanish in the United States
Lori Gano-Overway / KIN 205 Introduction to Coaching
Cathy McKay / KIN 312 Profession of Teaching Health and Physical Education
Shana Meganck and Sunny Qin / SCOM 318, 396, 462 Bluestone Communications
Nathan Wright / CHEM 368L Biophysical Chemistry Lab
Anne van Leeuwen / PHIL 290 Philosophy Teaching Practicum: Doing Philosophy in K-12 Schools
Amy Strunk / MKTG 388 Omnichannel Retail
Brooke Rhodes / MKTG 410 Social Media Marketing
Krisztina Jakobsen and Melanie Shoup-Knox / PSYC 403 Applied Biopsychology Techniques: Salivary Hormone Analysis
Alex Rutt, Erich Sneller, Eric Imbrescia, and Liz Ochoa / ELED 332 Children and Science
Dennis Lo and Isaac Wang / ENG 421/CS 480 Digital Justice in XR
