2025-2026 Transformative Teaching & Learning Innovation Incubator Grants Awarded

The Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL) initiative is pleased to announce the third round of Innovation Incubator grants. Thirteen instructors representing eleven projects and eleven different schools received nearly $115,000 in funding.

Innovation Incubator grants support the development, implementation, and evaluation of transformative teaching projects in undergraduate courses. The 2025-2026 cohort will focus on community-based learning, an educational approach that integrates classroom instruction with meaningful community engagement.

Sarah Brackmann, director of Community-Based Learning in the Office of Undergraduate Education and Student Success, collaborates with community partners and faculty to co-design experiences that enhance student learning and benefit neighboring communities. “I am excited to see how this group of faculty designs their courses in ways that are mutually beneficial with community partners, align with their course learning goals, and foster civic responsibility,” said Brackmann.

Allen Hyde, associate professor in the School of History & Sociology, plans to partner with Regen ATL and Paradise Baptist Church. In the past, said Hyde, there were stories of some Georgia Tech students graduating without fully experiencing the city of Atlanta and its connected communities. Through the community-based learning initiative, Hyde noted that “students are excited for the opportunity to work with communities collaboratively to develop innovative solutions, technologies, and practices to address real-world issues that residents face, applying the knowledge of their majors and building meaningful connections and networks across Atlanta, Georgia, and even globally.”

Hyde’s students will amplify Tech’s local and global impact through HTS 3012: Urban Sociology. In partnership with Regen ATL and Paradise Baptist Church, students will document the church’s 160-year legacy. The class will also complete a virtual project with Cape Flats YMCA in Cape Town, South Africa, documenting neighborhood change for a new museum.

CTL’s Kate Williams leads faculty-facing efforts on behalf of the TTL strategic initiative. “The Transformative Teaching and Learning initiative aims to create significant student learning experiences that change the way students see the world,” said Williams. “Community-based learning is a premier avenue for Georgia Tech to fulfill our mission to develop leaders who improve the human condition.” Williams reports that over 1,000 students are expected to enroll in the community-based learning courses developed through this round of grants.

Leandro Miletto Tonetto, who is an associate professor in the School of Industrial Design, is excited for his students to work directly with long-term care providers. Through ID 4843: Applied Design Methods for Community Well-being, Tonetto’s students will support the daily lives of older adults with dementia. “We are not just teaching design methods; we are building relationships and addressing real challenges in senior care. I hope students walk away with a deeper understanding of how thoughtful design can foster dignity, connection, and well-being later in life,” said Tonetto.

Grant recipients function as a cohort, meeting together throughout the year to share experiences and receive project support from Williams, Brackmann, and each other. Himani Sharma, lecturer in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, is a member of the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 cohorts. “The TTL grant last year helped me take a project I had been working on and structure it more intentionally within my classroom,” said Sharma. “This year, I’m especially excited to explore community-based learning—a new direction for me—knowing how supportive and resourceful the TTL team has been. The thoughtful scaffolding—from curated research articles to conversations with experienced faculty and peer support—has already helped me reimagine how I can create more meaningful, and engaging lessons for my students.”

Ellen Zerbe, lecturer in the department of Biomedical Engineering, believes community-based learning will help her students develop critical career skills. “The Art of Telling Your Story,” co-instructed with Rachael Pitts Hall, will connect Biomedical Engineering students with community partners as students learn to communicate via stories. “Our students need to communicate, understand, and empathize with their end users (whether that be patients or practitioners) later in their Capstone Design projects and beyond into their professional careers,” said Zerbe. She hopes students will become “comfortable with encountering perspectives and experiences that are different from their own, translate those into a cohesive story, and then share and edit that story with the participant to make sure that it is an accurate retelling of their story.”

Support for this round of the TTL Innovation Incubator faculty grants was provided by the Georgia Tech Strategic Plan, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Undergraduate Education and Student Success. Learn more about the Transformative Teaching and Learning Initiative and explore past projects through the TTL Project Showcase. Faculty who are interested in exploring community-based learning for their own courses can contact Sarah Brackmann.

2025-2026 Innovation Incubator Grant Awardees