Learning on the Fly and Dealing with Ambiguity


November 1, 2018

Tereese, Camilla and Rachel participating in the Marshmallow Tower Challenge

Tereese, Camilla and Rachel participating in the Marshmallow Tower Challenge

On September 12, 2018 the Presidential Fellows did a team exercise to work on the professional development competencies “learning on the fly” and “dealing with ambiguity.” These competencies are 2 of the 13 skills that make up the Presidential Fellowship professional development framework. In the exercise, the fellows attempted the “Marshmallow Tower Challenge" with a few modifications to increase the difficulty! Fellows were given sticks of spaghetti, tape, string and a marshmallow, and told to construct a tower in an unspecified amount of time. As time advanced, fellows were given a few extra materials to incorporate into their structure. Above all, it was a great exercise to practice our problem solving and build team relationships!