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Eckerd College is proud to be part of the Tampa Bay community.

Join us for public lectures and events with artists and experts as well as special programs for local businesses, educational opportunities for adults, executive training, and summer camps for children of all ages.

Art Offerings

Art exhibits

Eckerd is an art lover’s paradise. Three galleries offer many shows a year featuring works from the College’s collection, student and alumni art, and exhibits from nationally and internationally known artists. View the Visual Arts events calendar.

Film

The International Cinema Series offers screenings of critically acclaimed international and art house films. Each February the College hosts the Environmental Film Festival: Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature, which features films that raise awareness and promote discussion of matters relating to nature, place and the environment. All are free and open to the public.

Metropolitan Opera: HD Live and National Theatre Live

Enjoy some of the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world through live or recorded HD simulcasts in Miller Auditorium on the Eckerd College campus. All operas are presented with English subtitles. Buy tickets online.

Music

Hear a concert on our Flentrop organ in Wireman Chapel. Listen to our student choir led by music faculty.

Theatre and improv

Featuring works from Shakespeare to playwrights of today, Eckerd’s performing arts faculty and students stage at least two major productions a year. Fans of the unpredictable should drop in to catch a performance of Another Man’s Trash, Eckerd’s student improv group, which was featured at the acclaimed Chicago Improv Festival.

Writers’ conference

Each January, some of the world’s best-known writers participate in the Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise, eight days of intimate workshops, roundtables and panel discussions. Founded in 2005 by Sterling Watson ’69 and Dennis Lehane ’88, the conference includes the Evening Reading Series, free and open to the public.

Writings and readings

Eckerd creative writing faculty and students share their work, as do visiting authors and poets, during public readings and discussions. Students also publish Eckerd Review, an annual collection of the best literature and art from Eckerd College. The Review is released free to the public each May at a reading and art party.

Continuing education & lifelong learning

ASPEC—for senior professionals

Enjoy presentations, social life and activities for inquisitive adults interested in intellectual stimulation and service on campus and in the community, as well as camaraderie with curious individuals, with our Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College.

English Language School Homestay Program

Have extra space at home? For nearly four decades, ELS Language Services, a language-immersion school for international students, has offered English language classes on our campus. Tens of thousands of students from all over the world have attended since 1976, enriching both ELS students and the community. Consider opening your home to a student for several weeks or longer to receive a stipend and promote a mutually beneficial cultural experience!

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

From informative to fascinating, our OLLI program for adults offers hundreds of lectures, noncredit courses, social gatherings and excursions online and in person.

Adult lifelong learners on campus at Eckerd College

Executive & professional development

Conflict Dynamics Profile

The CDP shows trainers, coaches and consultants the path to strong conflict-resolution skills by building self-awareness and improving conflict-management skills.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile

The EMP is a cutting-edge assessment tool that examines the skills and capabilities needed for this new way of operating. The EMP helps corporate leaders, students and entrepreneurs assess the degree to which they are utilizing an “entrepreneurial mindset” and provides resources to leverage that competitive edge.

Leadership Development Institute

The LDI at Eckerd College was founded in 1980 to help individuals, teams and organizations achieve their leadership potential. From a comprehensive multiweek leadership institute for executive teams to a one-day session to help managers master the challenges of workplace conflict, LDI provides coaching and diagnostic services that identify company roadblocks and assist in the attainment of organizational goals.

Mediation Training Institute

MTI is the foremost provider of workplace conflict resolution and mediation training.

Nielsen Center for the Liberal Arts

Designed to support faculty at small liberal arts colleges around the country, the NCLA offers teaching-workshop fellowships to explore teaching identity, pedagogical practices and student learning.

Meeting space

Conference and event space rentals

Eckerd College offers a number of different facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and hosts a wide variety of visitors—including corporate retreats and meetings, community events and training, writing conferences, educational groups, marching bands, youth camps and more. Catering and housing also are available. Learn more about hosting your event at Eckerd.

Conference in James Center lobby

Summer Camps

High school pre-college program

Students entering 11th or 12th grade can immerse themselves in philosophy, literature, rhetoric and film studies during this one-week residential Pre-College experience led by Eckerd College professors.

Middle school science camp

Our one-week Summer Science Splash residential camp connects future scientists with faculty and certified teachers. Students work by day in the state-of-the-art James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences and by night enjoy activities around the campus.

Sports camps

Third party groups, as well as some of our Athletics coaches, host sports camps for youth each summer on our campus—such as for baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball.

Watersports camps

Children ages 5 to 17 enjoy fishing, sailing, kayaking, wakeboarding and more at the Eckerd Waterfront watersports camps during summer.

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