Philanthropy Lab

The Philanthropy Lab is a nationwide philanthropy education program currently in its third year at UW- Madison. This unique course engages students in philanthropy through an active learning model in which students study the history, purpose, and practices of philanthropy and apply their learning through tangible responsibility of granting $50,000 to the nonprofit(s) of their choice.

The Philanthropy Lab seeks to spark and expand students' interest and participation in philanthropy; increase the prevalence and priority of philanthropy education in colleges and universities.

While I have worked as a Teaching Assistant for a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses across the School of Human Ecology and Letters & Sciences, the Philanthropy Lab course stands out among the rest. I was lucky to be able to join the course as a TA in its first semester being offered at the university. I have since come to mark my graduate studies by which cohort of the Philanthropy Lab I was engaged with at the time. Since I began working with this course, I have helped guide students through the giving of nearly $200,000. Through this course, I’ve been allowed to take on new leadership roles in the classroom that have challenged me to grow and to practice what it means to be an effective teacher. Throughout my involvement with the Philanthropy Lab, I have come to hold a personal attachment and commitment to not only the success of the course but also to the success of the students. Being able to engage from the beginning with syllabus design, learning activity development, and evaluation has been an invaluable experience for me and I find myself committed to the continued advancement of this course.