Tours and Activities

Currently closed to the public, this engineering marvel will be open exclusively for Palooza attendees. Come learn more about Do Ho Suh's Fallen Star, which appears to sit precariously atop the Jacobs School of Engineering and is a permanent art installation that is part of UC San Diego's Stuart Collection.

Meet a Stuart Collection docent at the Jacobs Hall, Jacobs School of Engineering on Tuesday, March 28 any time between 1:00-4:00pm.

Join Teresa Guglielmo in the Dance Studio for Full Body Mobility & Deep Stretching.

Tuesday, March 28, 2:00-3:00pm
Wednesday, March 29, 1:30-2:30pm

Join Tiffany Caddell in the Dance Studio for Mindful Movement & Meditation.

Wednesday, March 29, 10:00-10:30am

Start with some breathing exercises (2 minutes), then some mindful movement (15 minutes), and finally a short, guided mindfulness meditation (10-15 minutes).

Follow along as Lean Six Sigma practitioners compete in The Great Innovate!
Witness the action by visiting their workspace in the East Ballroom.

Each team has just 4 hours to put their Lean Six Sigma skills to the test in a collaborative Kaizen continuous improvement workshop. Together, team members will analyze and improve real UC San Diego business processes. Process summaries will be posted for you to add your own “sticky note” ideas. 

Then they will pitch their ideas to the judges in the hopes of being crowned this year's Process Palooza champions.

The following activities will be facilitated by UC San Diego Challenge Course and Teambuilding Program staff on Wednesday, March 29 in the Community Pavilion:

Community Puzzle

Take a few minutes to decorate your own puzzle piece that will join with those of the other attendees to form a giant tapestry to commemorate and embody the experience of Process Palooza! Just as each of you bring your unique experiences and skillsets to your teams, your puzzle piece is an amazing part of the bigger community at UC San Diego. No artistic abilities required, just be willing to leave something to symbolize you and your experience at Process Palooza.

Interactive Team Activities

These are some, but not all, of the activities that will be available for groups to try out. One may take as little as a few minutes or as long as 15 or 20, it depends on how you choose to challenge yourselves!

Pipeline 
Every member of the team gets a tool to use to get a ball / marble from point A to point B under specific parameters.  The challenge is getting the ball(s) to the destination as efficiently and effectively as possible with the least amount of iterations.  This activity focuses on strategy, effective communication, process improvement and awareness of the strengths and challenges of different resources available to a team.

Team Draw 
The team works together to draw various shapes and structures using a device that they can only manipulate as a team.  Everyone will be holding a piece of the device that is distant from the drawing tool.  This activity highlights effective communication, being flexible to meet the needs of the team and responsive to what is needed to achieve the desired outcome.

Gone Fishin’ 
As a team, the group must utilize a device to collect and transport items from point A to point B.  Some items are easier to collect but have lower value, others harder to collect but with significantly higher value.  No single person can accomplish the task, and everyone has the potential to make the whole thing fall apart or bring everyone together.  In order to succeed everyone must be open to hearing different perspectives and keeping in mind the bigger perspective.  This activity is a phenomenal experience of working towards a common goal, collaboration and patience.  

Key Punch
The team must hit numbers in numerical order within the constraints of the activity.  There are time penalties for infractions of the rules.  The team might strive for quality with no infractions but be less efficient (slower time) or might focus on a very fast time but have more infractions, lower quality.  What is acceptable to the team?  How does the team maximize the strengths and adjust for the challenges of individual team members?  A great experience of process improvement and experiencing the ways "Lean Speed" focus on waste elimination supports the "Sigma Six Quality" and vice versa.

Mini Activities - Tabletop & Individual

Wrist Cuffs  
Individually, a participant will have a length of string with a knot in it that is attached to both wrists.  They need to figure out how to get the knot out without removing or untying the string from their wrists.  In pairs or a in a group.  Each person will have a string that is attached to both of their own wrists, but someone else's string is entwined with their own. They need to figure out how to separate the strings without removing the string from their wrists. Focus on creative problem solving and awareness of when one gets caught up in doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.

Knot or Not a Knot
Whether with a partner or a larger group, trying to decide if there is a knot in a rope when you cannot physically manipulate the rope, but only visually follow the twists and turns.  Deciding for yourself is one thing but what if the group must be in alignment to move forward but the decision has a significant consequence.  It is not so much a matter of getting the right answer but how you get to that point of team alignment and how you respond when you realize the right or wrong of that choice.  Does that response help the team move forward or hinder its ability to respond quickly and effectively?

Porcupine
How many nails can you balance on the head of one nail embedded in a wooden block?  You might be surprised how many is actually possible.  While not impossible as an individual, it is definitely easier as a team.  What does this experience highlight about the way you work through a seemingly impossible challenge?

Metaphorical Tools
You will have a chance to use different metaphorical resources to tap into your self and team awareness about communication / leadership styles, behaviors and team roles.  You can them dialogue about these realizations with an ease and depth that is often not the norm through unassisted verbal interactions.

The Stuart Collection is a truly unique collection of sculptures, murals and other installations sprinkled across the entirety of the UC San Diego campus. A self-guided walking tour is the perfect way to explore the UC San Diego campus at your leisure and enrich your mind!