Experiential learning doesn't happen overnight. For most institutions, it's a years-long process of building relationships, securing buy-in, navigating competing priorities, and figuring out how to track any of it—often without a clear roadmap to follow.
That's exactly what Symplicity set out to fix.
We've released three free, phase-specific team worksheets designed to help EL practitioners at any stage get organized, move forward, and make the case for what they're building. Based on research from esteemed EL academics, the worksheets translate complex EL principles into practical planning tools your team can actually print out and write all over—not just read once and file away.
Each worksheet walks through the critical steps, required assets, and common pitfalls for that phase, with space to document your ideas and next steps in real time. They're built for teams: use them in planning meetings, onboard new staff, or revisit them when priorities shift. Because in EL, they always do.
Phase 1: Foundation & Start-Up (Years 1–2)
Just getting started? This phase covers the work that makes everything else possible—defining your EL scope, building campus relationships, conducting an environmental scan, and securing the executive sponsorship and early resources you need to gain traction. Think of it as launching a start-up inside your institution.
Phase 2: Integration & Scaling (Years 3–6)
Ready to grow? Phase 2 tackles formal coordination structures, faculty champion networks, data and assessment infrastructure, and the thorny work of embedding EL into curriculum. It also addresses two things that often get sidelined: equity and access, and the technology decisions that shape everything downstream.
Phase 3: Sustainability & Cultural Embedding (Years 7+)
At this stage, the goal shifts from building to sustaining. That means transitioning from soft money to permanent budget lines, embedding EL into institutional identity, implementing quality assurance without alienating faculty, and building the cross-institutional relationships that keep your program sharp and connected.
No matter where your institution is in the journey, one thing holds true across all three phases: this work is non-linear. Progress in one area doesn't wait for another to catch up, and that's okay. These worksheets help you track what you have, identify what you're missing, and keep your team aligned on what comes next.
Ready to go beyond the roadmap?
Symplicity Outcome gives your team one place to catalog opportunities, track student participation, and report on impact—so the work you're building actually shows up when it matters most. See how Outcome works →
