Save your spot for Critical Skills 2026!
On Campus July 13-17, 2026
Schools looked different when the Critical Skills Classroom came to Antioch University New England. No one had heard of PBL, Cooperative Learning was group work, Experiential Learning was for ropes courses and backpacking trips, and EdTech was playing Oregon Trail on the classroom Apple IIe.
Then a team of teachers came together with a common purpose. They wanted something that would help their students learn to be better problem solvers, communicators, collaborators, community members- but not something that added more to their already overcrowded days. Together, they created the Critical Skills Classroom.
A lot of things have changed over the last 40 years, but Critical Skills is still created by teachers, for teachers, grounded in educational research, designed to support all kinds of teachers in all kinds of classrooms—with the flexibility to meet the needs of a changing world.
Just fill out this form, and we’ll let you know when registration officially opens in February or March. (Don’t worry- this doesn’t commit you to anything, it just bumps you to the head of the line for guest registration!)
Need an invoice for your professional development process, or have any questions about the course? Just contact us and we’ll help you get it sorted.
Course Description
EDT-5500: Critical Skills Classroom Immersion
July 13-1, 2026; 8:30-4:30; Keene, NH
Credits: 2.0 Max Credits: 3.0
This course is designed to be an introduction to and immersion in the Critical Skills Classroom approach. Participants will explore the foundations of the Critical Skills Classroom, the creation and maintenance of the Collaborative Learning Community, and the integration of problem-based learning, experiential learning, collaborative learning, and standards-based learning. Students will develop problem-based experiential challenges, and techniques for feedback reflection, and assessment for use in their own classrooms and/or contexts. Particular attention is given to understanding strategies for developing and maintaining a collaborative learning community; setting and assessing standards for quality work; targeting and assessing critical skills and dispositions within curriculum frameworks. Students will utilize the experiential cycle as a framework for designing problem-based challenges that build community, teach classroom systems, introduce skills and dispositions, address subject area standards, and guide and coach students’ production and reflection processes.
Past Course Syllabus (this will be updated when the 2026 syllabus is complete)
Costs
- Standard Course Fee- $1,644.00
- Try Us Out Rate- $1,000
- Alumni- $822.00
- Audit- $990.00
Travel to Keene
Antioch University New England does not offer housing for students, but options abound for visitors! Click here to view the AUNE housing guide and search for a place to stay nearby! ·We also have a variety of local campgrounds, many AirBnbs, and both major hotels and local Inns and B&Bs.
Need advice? Contact us directly!
You can find driving directions, closest airports, shuttle and taxi information, and more on the Travel Information page.