Our Education Studies courses aim to foster a culture of care. Whether it’s through weekly department teas or group wellness exercises, instructors and students are always looking for ways to genuinely connect. Last year, the Education Studies Scholars Colloquium took up felting for a day!
From Professor Talya Zemach-Bersin:
“In 2021, I taught myself how to needle felt. Needle felting is known as sculpting with wool. By repeatedly stabbing wool roving with a special serrated needle, loose wool begins to take shape and become dense. It’s a strangely satisfying and rewarding activity, which helped me survive the upheaval of the past few years […] So as an end of semester activity for the new Scholars enrolled in EDST 261, I brought in the supplies and taught everyone how to needle felt a duck. The students learned so quickly and their ducks were all so original and creative and lovely!”
David Donnan (YC 24): “The felting was incredible, relaxing, and fun! That class felt like such a core bonding moment to me for our cohort.”
Wren Wolterbeek (YC 24): “It was a fun way to de-stress and to bond as a cohort! I think the experience speaks to the experience of being a scholar, getting to meet a group of other Yalies who all have a wide array of interests, majors, and backgrounds and who come together to create a group of students passionate about education and education studies. When you felt you use a needle to poke felt to create the shapes and you use different angles and that is reflective of the unique perspectives and experiences each scholar brings with them to Ed Studies! I have had such an amazing time in the program and felting ducklings is definitely one of them!”