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CLT Magazine | SUMMER 2022
Ten Ways Improv Fosters Student Engagement on Campus Amy Angelilli
Chief Adventure Officer, The Adventure Project Even though it’s been a long time since I’ve been in school, summer always reminds me that the season for learning-new-things is just around the corner. Now, that season is about me teaching others how improv might improve their lives – personally and professionally. However, when someone discovers my improv background and toolbox, I usually get the following responses: 1. “Tell me a joke – go ahead, say something funny!” 2. “Oh, I could never do that!” And guess what? These responses are a great teaching moment for me because: 1. Improv isn’t about telling jokes or being funny. 2. Improv is something everyone is already doing because life is unscripted. According to Wikipedia, “Improvisational theater, often called improv, is a form of theater where most or all of what is performed is created at the moment it is performed. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script..” So, let’s talk campus life. Can the tenants of this art form, when applied to campus life, make the college experience richer for the students? YES! Students don’t realize they are already improvising because they think of improv as comedy that happens on a stage. The truth is that what develops off stage while utilizing an improv mindset is way more important and can be the difference between a student staying or leaving school.
With that in mind, I present the top 10 ways improv can make your students stars on the campus “stage”: They learn how to be present. Improv is about the moment and doesn’t allow anyone to get stuck in the past or worry about the future. If your students aren’t present, they aren’t getting the most out of their college experience. First-year students often dwell in high school memories and those about to graduate are looking to their future lives and careers. However, being engaged now makes for happier students which means higher retention rates. Students explore creativity. Some students get into a daily routine and don’t often stray from it because of the pressure to succeed. Through improv they can tap into parts of themselves that may not be available in their day-to-day lives. What if they could have a safe space to let their guards down – together -- and have fun doing it? It becomes a transformational experience that connects and bonds them with fellow students.
