What We Do
Will Dennis is a classroom teacher. He's also spent a decade bringing applied improvisation into schools, corporations, and non-profits. That combination is rare and it means that the work is designed from the inside, not handed down from a consultant who's never managed a classroom.
At Unscripted, we use applied improvisation to build the human capabilities students and teachers need most: the ability to listen, adapt, collaborate, and recover from failure. These are not soft skills, they are the building blocks of leadership and success.
Most schools are balancing AI policy with the pressure to develop the humans sitting in front of screens. We leave the screens to the experts and work on the humans.
How We Do It
The framework is built around how teachers already think. After working with us, your staff will know how to use applied improvisation to:
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Engage
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Explore
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Explain
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Evaluate
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Elaborate
What are the results
Teachers who've gone through this program use activities with students the next day. Here's what students build over time.
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Resilience
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Adaptability
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Empathy
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Conflict-resolution
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Collaboration
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Communication
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Creative problem-solving
Our Programs
The Opening Day Experience
Flagship Program for back-to-school professional development. Half-day or full-day options.
The Unscripted Student Experience
Middle school and high school programs. Assemblies, student leadership workshop, etc. Can be combined with faculty PD
"This workshop engaged every single teacher and staff member immediately. We were able to step outside of proscribed roles at our institution. This will allow us to see each other differently as we work together to support our students, and our community as a whole. Additionally, this workshop provided specific insights and strategies for engaging all of our students in new ways, so they can move beyond their expectations of themselves and each other. Will also was able to offer suggestions for using these tools in all kinds of classrooms, not just theater or English classes. I am using at least one of his activities on my first day of school this year, and am challenging myself to use others regularly throughout this school year. Highly recommend this program!"
- Lisa Amesian, The Baldwin School
The Opening Day Experience for schools solves the ongoing struggle of finding meaningful, impactful, sustainable, but also practical way to launch a school year.
Our program builds relationships, community, belonging, and collaboration. More than that, though, teachers leave with tools they can use in the classrooms… the next day.
We partnered with The Baldwin School last year with a half-day session.
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84% of faculty and staff rated it as excellent
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100% rated as excellent or good
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More than 3/4 of participants would highly recommend it
The best thing we could hear came from an teacher who said,
“When I heard the word ‘improv’ I cringed and slumped into my chair. But quickly realized the prompts I was being given were not only easy — they were allowing an enthusiastic community to form for me in an instant. I will absolutely use some of these techniques with my students.”
We call it The Opening Day Experience because it sets the tone— built on connection, acceptance, and contribution— for an entire school year.
We’re booking fall engagements now so schools can potentially used this years budget to support next year’s impact.
