Spring Learning – University of South Florida

University of South Florida
Friday, March 13, 2026 – Sunday, March 15, 2026

  

This Spring Learning experience is hosted by the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. All sessions will be in the Marshall Student Center, 4103 USF Cedar Cir, Tampa, FL 33620.


5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Conference Check-in

7:00 pm

Welcome/ Opening Session

7:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Keynote: LeaderShape Pt. 1

8:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Service Learning Project

8:30 am – 9:30 am

Keynote: LeaderShape Pt. 2

9:45 am – 11:30 am

LeaderShape – Discussion Groups/ Practice to Action

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch/ Community Connections (Lunch Provided)

1:30 pm – 2:20 pm

Education Session Block #1

2:30 pm – 3:20 pm

Education Session Block #2

3:30 pm – 4:20 pm

Education Session Block #3

4:30 pm – 5:20 pm

Education Session Block #4

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Dinner On Your Own

7:00 pm – 9:00pm

Evening Social

8:30 am – 9:20 am

Education Session Block #5

9:30 am – 10:20 am

Education Session Block #6

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Closing Session

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Suggested places to stay: 

Our recommended hotel is the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa USF. It’s located right on campus within easy walking distance to the Marshall Student Center. Embassy Suites provides spacious suite-style rooms, ideal for accommodating multiple guests and includes a full hot breakfast with every stay.

Things to do:

  • Busch Gardens: 2 miles away
  • Adventure Island: 2 miles away
  • Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI): 1 mile away
  • ZooTampa: 6 miles away
  • The Florida Aquarium & Sparkman’s Wharf: 10 miles away
    • Sparkman’s Wharf is a waterfront outdoor food hall and entertainment area.
  • Explore Downtown Tampa (Riverwalk, Armature Works Food Hall, etc.): 10 miles away
  • Explore the St. Petersburg Pier and the Downtown area which is less than an hour away. 
  • Fort Desoto, with its natural Florida beaches and historic fort is less than an hour away.
  • Our beautiful beaches, including the famous and award winning Clearwater Beach, are about an hour away. 
  • Orlando (Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and more!) is about an hour and a half to two hours away.

Conference Speakers & Highlights

LeaderShape is known for creating immersive learning experiences that help students build the confidence and capacity to lead. With the collaboration of the NODA planning teams they have designed a keynote specifically for our new spring learning series that will continue that tradition by engaging students in meaningful reflection, hands-on practice, and real-world application. The keynote invites participants to explore their personal leadership strengths and styles to uncover how these qualities shape the way they show up on a team and in their orientation leader roles. Through interactive tools and guided reflection, students gain deeper self-awareness and a stronger understanding of their leadership potential.

The follow-up breakout session shifts the focus to communication, helping students learn how to share their ideas with clarity and confidence. Participants will practice giving and receiving feedback, explore how verbal and nonverbal messages impact team dynamics, and develop strategies for navigating high-stakes or peer leadership scenarios. Facilitated by trained LeaderShape educators, both sessions prioritize reflection, skill-building, and practice—ensuring students leave with practical tools they can immediately use. Together, these experiences empower students to lead with intention, communicate effectively, and contribute to a stronger, more connected orientation team.

Service Learning Project:

The Spring Learning Conference will offer the opportunity for students to connect with a cause in the greater Tampa area and participate in an activity that directly benefits our community partner. This year, we are leaning into our conference theme, “The Next Chapter,” to provide books and book-related supplies to an organization that will positively benefit from these donations. Stay tuned as we reveal our community partner closer to the conference!

Mixers:

At Spring Learning, we work hard and play harder! To round out each day at USF, we will host socials for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professionals in attendance. These socials will incorporate playful activities, opportunities to network and connect, build tradition and spirit, and rewind after a busy day at the conference. We are excited to share these full opportunities with you soon!

Check back soon for more conference highlights!

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Lindsey Owen, Co-Chair, University of South Florida
Christen Yawn, Co-Chair, University of South Florida

JT Faccone, Attendee Experience, University of Georgia
Abby Cloud Langdon, Attendee Experience, Florida State University
Liv Coppola, Communications, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Savannah Weaver, Communications, University of South Florida
Anna Spaschak, Educational Programming, University of Florida
Shauna Kaplan, Educational Programming, Georgia Southern University
Morgan Berg, Speakers and Special Initiatives, University of South Florida
Natasha Golden, Speakers and Special Initiatives, Coastal Carolina University

Questions? Email the committee at springlearning3@umn.edu

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