What is experiential learning at Pitt? Think of projects and programs like architecture students creating 3D models in consultation with local firms, engineering students designing and building a formula-style race car, business students managing on-campus food and beverage sites. Think of internships, community-engaged learning, handmade projects, or study abroad.
There's such a rich and varied set of opportunities like these for undergraduates at Pitt that we built a showcase for them!
Spring 2026 Experiential Learning Student Showcase
The inaugural Experiential Learning Student Showcase took place March 18, 2026, in the Tansky Family Commons at Hillman Library. The pilot program highlighted the variety of hands-on learning opportunities that exist around the University.
Attendees of the one-day event were able to learn about the breadth and scale of experiential learning at Pitt by
- Talking with students who have participated in experiential learning as they share their experience and how it relates to their future goals.
- Helping them "practice their pitch" as they offer lightning talks.
- Exploring projects that explain students' real-world learning through these experiences and the outcomes of that time spent—whether a completed product or a new concept, project, opportunity, or conversation.
- Connecting with faculty, staff, and community partners to learn about experiential learning opportunities that may be right for you.
Everyone in the University community was invited to attend.
2026 Experiential Learning Student Showcase Units and Student Projects
- Big Idea Center
Featured:
- Co-founders of Pittsburgh Coastal Energy
- Transfer student from University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and co-founder of Forevergreen
- Student with multiple innovation projects with the center
- Center4Creativity
Featured:
- A neuroscience/psychology major in her senior year whose Unleashed Wonder project last year created tangible representations of music through visual and fiber art, inspired by the neurological condition of synesthesia
- School of Computing and Information Science
Participants included:
- Corporate intern at DICK’S Sporting Goods (CS 1900 Internship course)
- Software engineering intern at Electric Boat (CS 1900 Internship course)
- Financial literacy app (ENGLIT 1922 – DNID Capstone course)
- Figma created Greek myths into click and animated stories (INFSCI 1450 Game Design course)
- iServe volunteer at Life Builders
- 3D modeled video game (ENGLIT 1922 – DNID Capstone course)
- Inclusive Spaceship Collaborative Operation (DISCO) design jam toolkit (multiple courses, but currently in INFSCI 1450 Game Design course)
- Swanson School of Engineering
Featured:
- Students from the Global Co-op and Global Experiences Internship
- Students from Panther Racing, an engineering student group developing a Formula One-style race car
- Department of English
Projects included:
- Collaboration on a co-developed project for Intro to Film Studies that had students create professional press kits based upon actual kits owned by the faculty and held within Hillman's A&SC
- 360 Videos produced by students in Screenwriting and Narrative—students wrote the scene and filmed it
- "Literary Jeopardy" wall of knowledge produced by students in American Literature to 1860 alongside substantial student work utilizing Hillman's A&SC
- Client usability tests and an interactive kiosk project developed by students in Composition/DNID courses
- “Banned Book Fair" project developed and run by students in Composition courses
- Poster presentation for First Year Writing in Engineering Conference, featuring winning essays
- Comic books developed and created by students in Digital Humanity Course
- Student tabletop game, created from scratch, about botany and flora, and a large-scale collage about human control and the resulting adjustment to pigeons' behaviors and migrations, from the Media/Ecology course (Literature)
- Pop-up books created by students in The Fairy Tradition (Literature)
- ReligYinz: Students presented materials from Religion in Pittsburgh, a site-based course on religion, religious practice, and religious sites in the city
- Department of History of Art and Architecture
Featured:
- Students displaying architectural models and display boards from the following classes:
- the Fallingwater Program
- ARC 1204: Design Studio 4
- ARC 1203 - Design Studio 3
- ARC 1202 - Design Studio 2
- Students displaying architectural models and display boards from the following classes:
- Department of Psychology
Featured:
- Two students completing directed research, one of which is a Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil)
- University Center for International Studies
Featured:
- Frederick in Wyoming research project
- Global Service Learning: Trinidad project
- Vira I. Heinz Program student
- Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program Winner
- University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Participants included:
- An experiential learning leader on campus who has combined her passion for animals with entrepreneurial skills. During her first semester at Pitt-Bradford, she co-founded the student group Panthers4Paws to support and advocate for animals in shelters and launched a highly popular Kitty Cafe, which engages students, faculty, and staff. Through this initiative, she participated in a pitch event with Halloran Philanthropies, meeting with local entrepreneurs, banks, and licensing professionals to develop a realistic business proposal. Last summer, she was a recipient of the PRSSIM Project Rural Student Paid Internship opportunity. In addition to her entrepreneurial work, she serves as a Retention Ambassador for the Halloran Scholarship program, supporting fellow students in their academic and leadership journeys.
- A student who participated in an experiential learning opportunity in Oregon, training with and learning directly from firefighters. She is applying hand-on experiences to her research on the impacts of wildfires and ecosystem recovery, gaining practical knowledge of fire management and ecological restoration. She has also explored pursuing forestry training to become a certified chainsaw operator, further building her field skills and professional expertise.
Stay tuned for information on the 2027 Experiential Learning Student Showcase!