creative education lab

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Our Letter Recognition program doesn’t just introduce the letters of the alphabet…. It teaches students to read quickly and efficiently and helps them learn basic computer skills in the process. But those aren’t the program’s only benefits; that’s why we are excited to offer you a chance to try Letter Recognition FREE !

Click here to learn more !

Leaders are readers, and readers excel. In your efforts to communicate with and motivate others, you must stay abreast of new ideas and developments. To help, we are offering you a free six-month subscription to “The Total Leader” newsletter. No obligations…just great reading.

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Accelerated Learning

Award-winning students.

For over 30 years, Creative Education Institute ® has produced innovative learning solutions that enable people with educational differences to achieve academic, social and professional success. Throughout that time, we recognized the same thing most educators do…. The average learner gains one year academically for each year of instruction. Struggling students, however, often fail to gain half a year academically. Consequently, the child who has multiple challenges when he starts kindergarten may be up to five years behind his peers by fifth grade.

Intervening as early as possible can prevent many challenges, but students who are already behind need more than therapy alone. They also need accelerated learning. CEI ® students gain an average of 1.6 years for each year of instruction; more than a third gain two years or more. This means the same struggling kindergarten student won’t just catch up with his peers by the end of second grade. By third grade, he’ll surpass them.

With younger children, you can never start too early; for older students who are struggling, you cannot wait!

What Others Are Saying...

• Your Students
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CTRL is a joint collaboration between the University of Florida College of Education and the College of Education at Illinois.

The Creative Technology Research Lab (CTRL) is a research lab associated with the University of Florida and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The primary aim of the CTRL is to investigate how to meaningfully engage all learners in technology-mediated learning, with a focus on computer science and computational thinking. The focus of the lab is on rigorous research, K-12 outreach, and advocacy.

Our Projects

Teaching All Computational Thinking through Inclusion and Collaboration

Through a National Science Foundation STEM+C grant, Drs. Maya Israel, George Reese, and Cinda Heeren in collaboration with Champaign Unit 4 school district are studying ways of making computer science education more accessible and engaging to elementary and middle school students with disabilities.

Collaborative Computing Observation Instrument

The C-COI is an observation instrument used in conjunction with video screen capture software. It allows researchers to observe videos of students' the computer screens and listen to their conversations as they engage in computer programming. With the C-COI, researchers can analyze areas such as time on task, students' collaborative problem solving, social behaviors, persistences, and help seeking/giving behaviors.

Learning Trajectories for Everyday Computing

UChicago STEM at the University of Chicago and the University of Florida’s College of Education have an NSF STEM+C have a collaborative project to create prototype learning trajectories for integrated computer science and mathematics at Grades K-5. This project focuses on developing learning goals, progressions, and activities that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards-Mathematics (CCSS-M) and on researching meaningful ways of integrating computational thinking into elementary mathematics instruction.  

Visit everydaycomputing.org  for more information.

What is creative computing?

What is scratch, what is this resource.

About Creative Learning Company

Empowering Educators with Extraordinary Learning Experiences 

Learn more about our team and methodology

An offspring of The MIT Media Lab and the Harvard School of Education, the Creative Learning Company team includes artists, educators, researchers, designers, and technologists with decades of experience working on creative learning projects with schools, community groups, and businesses from around the world.

METHODOLOGY

We specialize in the design and implementation of workshops, educational materials, and spaces for hands-on, interest- based, and invention-oriented learnin g.

Our programs are shown to:

Empower teachers to design and integrate creative learning experiences and strategies in their classrooms.

Create relevant, joyful classroom learning for students from PreK through Grade 5.

Support the diverse needs of different learning styles and lived experiences.

Offer school systems and organizations an engaging program to support staff development and retention.

Interested in custom workshops for your team?

HOW WE DO IT

Creative Learning is built on four foundational values, also known as the four P’s:

Projects. Passion. Peers. Play.

At the Creative Learning Company, we’ve applied these pillars to a unique and dynamic format.

Our signature approach uses creative learning microworlds – complete curriculum units carefully designed to encourage student exploration and playful engagement around a specific theme. Each of these age-appropriate microworlds strengthens essential capabilities such as imagination, creativity, and problem solving.

Not only are our microworld programs time-tested and research-backed, but they’re carefully designed to align with grade-level standards.

We help schools and other learning institutions become more creative, hands-on, and exciting for learners of all ages, providing them with opportunities to create in imaginative and meaningful ways.

Our curriculum and products are unique in their focus on low-cost materials and activities that can be implemented in diverse settings.

Rachel Garber, Director M.Ed Founder, Creative Learning Company

Rachel is an educator with 25+ years of experience working with young people, volunteers, teachers, and parents in both public school and community-based educational programs. She has a passion for infusing creativity into learning and exposing children to new opportunities to help them discover their potential.  She has worked closely with organizations such as MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten Group, The Clubhouse Network, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Boston Public Schools. She specializes in program development, curriculum design, and professional development for children and adults.

Leo Burd PhD Co-founder Creative Learning Company

Leo is interested in the design of innovative technologies and approaches for creative learning and social empowerment. With a PhD from the MIT Media Lab, Leo co-directs the Brazilian Creative Learning Network, an organization that brings together thousands of teachers, artists, researchers, decision-makers, families, and students from all over Brazil to support and promote more creative and relevant public education for all.

Outside of MIT, Leo has worked for groups such as the World Bank, Microsoft, and the Brazilian government. He has also coordinated a non-profit organization that builds "computer and citizenship" schools in Sao Paulo slums, and was a key contributor to several international initiatives that foster technology and education innovation for youth empowerment.

Mariana Tamashiro M.Sc 

Mariana is interested in designing creative and meaningful learning experiences, using technology as a medium for expression. She graduated from the University of Sao Paulo with a Bachelor of Science in Design. In 2017, she joined MIT Media Lab as a visiting student to work on her undergraduate final project, "Design Principles for Creative Learning." She holds a master degree in Creative Technologies & Design from the University of Colorado Boulder. Currently, she is a PhD fellow and research assistant at the Center for Computational Thinking and Design at Aarhus University in Denmark.  

Natalie Catlett M.A.Ed

Natalie Catlett is an illustrator, educator, and edupreneur.  A firm believer in the transformative power of the arts in education, Natalie's passion is to find ways for students and teachers to experience their imaginative and creative capabilities every day. She graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communications Design, obtained her master's degree in Art Education at Tufts University, a master's degree from The University of Pennsylvania in Education Entrepreneurship. Before shifting into education, Natalie worked in children's animation and publishing industries. Natalie has been teaching both art and design for nearly a decade. Originally from Brazil, she has extensive experience collaborating with schools, organizations, and companies designing and executing immersive art-led learning experiences.

Here's What Teachers are saying...

“The benefit is JoYFuL learning! Children work hard and learn best when they can create something personally meaningful! Transforming our ordinary classrooms into extraordinary learning spaces nurtures curiosity, creativity, and a critical perspective! Providing opportunities to create in imaginative and meaningful ways that are interest-based produces higher quality work.”

- SECOND GRADE TEACHER

Hauser & Wirth Launches Education Project in Los Angeles

• Downtown Los Angeles

Education Lab LA opens 16 July 2022 with inaugural artist, Mark Bradford

As reported in ARTNews , Hauser & Wirth Education Lab LA is a new creative education initiative for students from a local high school based in Downtown Los Angeles. The two-part project features workshops led by a team of arts professionals at the gallery and a visual arts project created by the students in collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford, which opened to the public on 16 July and will remain on view through 18 September. The first Education Lab LA initiative recognizes Bradford’s partnership with the Los Angeles-based, international non-profit, PILAglobal, an organization that offers innovative education to children who live in refugee camps, migrant shelters, or in abject poverty through the creation of ‘Nests,’ or early learning spaces.

‘When young people have the space to express themselves creatively, they offer unique perspectives on their lives and the world around them.’—Mark Bradford

As part of the Education Lab project in Los Angeles, Hauser & Wirth hosted 17 students from the Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts based in Downtown Los Angeles close to the gallery. This spring, in the first part of the initiative, the students began a series of workshops and discussions with different departments at the gallery that feature a behind-the-scenes look at how a commercial art gallery operates. In the summer, the second part of the initiative found students working alongside the team at PILAglobal, Hauser & Wirth and the Bradford studio to create a visual arts project that draws attention to the current global refugee crisis and its humanitarian impact, themes that are central to the work of PILAglobal.

Students at the Education Lab LA Workshop at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles © 2022. Photo: Sarah M Golonka | smg-photography

A student works on a mural that draws attention to the global refugee crisis, the final phase of the Education Lab LA © 2022. Photo: Sarah M Golonka | smg-photography

‘Our inclusive learning programs at Hauser & Wirth are driven by our belief that access to art and artists enriches lives and is a powerful force for good.’ —Manuela Wirth

Mark Bradford says: ‘When young people have the space to express themselves creatively, they offer unique perspectives on their lives and the world around them. There is no more important time to listen to these diverse voices than now. I’m proud to be a part of the work that PILAglobal does, and I can think of no better way to honor our collaboration than with this educational program with the students from Grand Arts High School.’

Manuela Wirth, President, Hauser & Wirth, says: ‘Our inclusive learning programs at Hauser & Wirth are driven by our belief that access to art and artists enriches lives and is a powerful force for good. Mark Bradford’s sustained committment to working with young people has transformed our understanding of how education intersects with social practice. It has been such a privilege to work with him and to watch the student group interact with the gallery team. Debbie Hillyerd, who oversees our global learning program, and I are delighted to bring essential learning opportunities like this one to Los Angeles.’

Learning Team member Marcos Lopez with students at the Education Lab LA Workshop at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles © 2022 Sarah M Golonka | smg-photography

Debbie Hillyerd, Senior Director, Learning, with students at the Education Lab LA Workshop at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles © 2022. Photo: Sarah M Golonka | smg-photography

Lori Gambero, Principal, Ramón C. Cortines, Grand Arts High School of Visual and Performing Arts, says: ‘This partnership with Hauser & Wirth and Mark Bradford brings a unique opportunity for our students to expand their learning beyond the school gates and engage with our local creative community.’

During the past year, the collaboration with PILAglobal has included donations of art supplies, donations of art publications to create a resources library, and a partnership with staff to bring hands-on creative learning programs to over 500 migrant children at PILAglobal locations including their Canyon Nest in Tijuana, Mexico and their Nest in Athens, Greece.

Education Lab LA is part of Hauser & Wirth’s global learning platform that runs projects for individuals, schools, students, special interest groups and families, through a series of meaningful partnerships. Each Education Lab is a collaboration with a local educational organization or non-profit.

Learn more about our education initiatives

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• Masterclass Series
• Online Lessons

Strengthening the local church worldwide through worship arts education and discipleship.

The Creative Lab Academy is an innovative global education provider that trains, equips, up-skills and mentors musicians and creatives within the local church, worldwide.

All our training, teaching and expertise in face-to- face and online delivery enables us to write and develop curriculums in worship music and the creative industries for students from all walks of life, all abilities and from all countries. Our primary focus is worship music and creative students attending or serving in local churches in developing countries who are not in a position to access highly specialised education.

We help students explore and develop artistic and creative talents for personal, ministerial, entrepreneurial and academic enhancement. All courses are bespoke and reflect the values and expectations of industry practice and mainstream education. We seek to prepare students to enrich and enhance worship through music and the creative arts in the local church whilst being prepared for access to the global creative sector. The Creative Lab exists to train, equip and up-skill a generation of worship leaders, musicians and creative industry practitioners.

We currently have 2845 students through our ministry partnerships in Honduras,  Uganda, and the  United States .

Expert tutors from around the world

• Marcia Alverson
• Elliot Bennett
• Chris Carpenter
• Rhodri Darcey
• Rebecca Dawson
• Gary Trobee
• Kevin Swartwood
• Stuart Jones
• Nigel James
• Tim Williams
• Practical Discipleship
• Foundations of Worship Leadership
• Songwriting
• Storytelling
• Musical Directing
• Music Theory

All rights reserved

Development by Amazing Creative

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What is chrome music lab.

Chrome Music Lab is a website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments.

What can it be used for?

Many teachers have been using Chrome Music Lab as a tool in their classrooms to explore music and its connections to science , math , art , and more. They’ve been combining it with dance and live instruments . Here’s a collection of some uses we’ve found on Twitter.

Can I use it to make my own songs?

Yes. Check out the Song Maker experiment, which lets you make and share your own songs.

Do I need to make an account?

Nope. Just open any experiment and start playing.

How were these built?

All our experiments are all built with freely accessible web technology such as Web Audio API , WebMIDI , Tone.js , and more. These tools make it easier for coders to build new interactive music experiences. You can get the open-source code to lots of these experiments here on Github .

What devices do these work on?

You can play with these experiments across devices – phones, tablets, laptops – just by opening the site on a web browser such as Chrome .

What's next for Chrome Music Lab?

We always get inspired by new, unexpected ways that people use these experiments. If you’d like to share something with us, post it with #chromemusiclab or drop us a line .

• Board of Directors

About Creative Education Foundation

“the challenges we are facing are without precedent…and we are going to need every ounce of ingenuity, imagination, and creativity to confront these problems.” ~ sir ken robinson  .

Alex Osborn founded the Creative Education Foundation (CEF) in 1954. Alex was one of the original advertising “Mad Men” and the “O” in BBDO. He founded CEF based on the idea that creativity can be learned and developed.

With Sidney J. Parnes, Ph.D., Alex developed the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process and founded the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI). CPSI is the oldest, longest-running global creativity conference that attracts hundreds of attendees from around the globe and across industries.

CEF also runs the Parnes Global Fellowship program, which trains rising leaders in CPS to make positive change in their communities, and awards the Ruth B. Noller Research Grant for cutting edge creativity research. CEF publishes the longest-running academic creativity journal, the Journal of Creative Behavior , and also provides CPS Professional Development Training to teachers, students, and professionals. CEF is a registered, 501-c-3 nonprofit organization.

Our Mission

The mission of the Creative Education Foundation is to spark personal and professional transformation by empowering people with the skill set, tool set, and mindset of deliberate creativity.

Our vision is to unlock the creative genius in everyone. The Creative Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization of leaders in the field of creativity theory and practice. Every day, principles fostered by CEF programs are helping someone, somewhere in the world, develop new products, make business operations run more profitably, restructure organizations and agencies to become more effective and less encumbered, reinvigorate economies, make improvements in our schools, revitalize communities, and replace ineffective methods and systems with new, more workable ones.

We convene businesses, governments, NGOs, and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for women and girls, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change.

The Core Values of CEF

• Creativity is innate; it can be deliberate, studied, taught, and learned.
• Constructive creativity requires personal integrity, as well as integrity in process, product, and environment.
• Courageous and respectful communication yields meaning and understanding.
• We express viewpoints with clarity and self-awareness, ask questions to better understand others’ viewpoints, and listen generously.
• We trust and use the Creative Problem Solving process in our leadership and program development.
• Play fosters creativity and connects us to our goals and each other.
• We achieve quality outcomes by bringing together people of different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and thinking processes.
• Variety and differences require us to remain open-minded, to use debate, and to manage conflict as tools for stronger outcomes.
• Generosity, awareness of self and others, and ongoing learning are essential characteristics of partners, volunteers, and staff.
• Service requires high-level personal, interpersonal and organizational goals, exceptional delivery, and achievable commitments.
• Individual growth and organizational growth go hand-in-hand.
• Seeking both organizational growth and organizational stability requires fiscal responsibility, efficiency, effective resource management, and teamwork.

Beth Miller

Executive Director

Beth is a 20+ year nonprofit leader who is passionate about history, education, leadership, and creativity.   As the Executive Director of the Creative Education Foundation (CEF), she has grown and professionalized all contributed and earned revenue streams including the development Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Professional Development training for public school educators and administrators.   Beth and the CEF team are successfully navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and have developed new virtual programs, which have expanded the CEF audience.   Currently, Beth is exploring collaborative partnerships with The Illumination Project, the Center for Policing Equity, and various national Invention Conventions.  

Beth taught writing at Trinity College for 10 years, and who served as Writing Fellow at Quinnipiac University where she taught and assisted with writing program curriculum design. Beth earned her B.A. in Women’s Studies (2000) and her M.A. in American Studies (2003) at Trinity College, graduating with distinction for both degrees; she was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.   For her scholarship and community service, Beth received the Ann Petry Book Prize in American Studies, the D.G. Brinton Thompson Prize in United States History, the Samuel S. Fishzohn Award for Civil Rights and Community Service, the Elma H. Martin Book Prize for Student Leadership, and the Tyler Award for Interdisciplinary Studies.  

Beth currently serves as a Trustee of the Ahearn Family Foundation, and recently completed her tenure as a member of the Trinity College National Alumni Association Executive Committee. In 2005, Beth was hired to write “A Life-Giving Spirit:” 75 Years at the Bushnell , which was a history of The Bushnell Memorial Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2017, Beth received an honorary PhD in Arts and Humane Letters from Southern New Hampshire University for her academic and professional achievements.   Her award-winning Senior Seminar Thesis, “Challenging Race and Gender Boundaries in Antebellum America,” about Prudence Crandall was adapted as the play, “An Education in Prudence,” produced by the Open Theater Project in Boston, MA in February 2018.      And, in 2019, Beth was recognized by her alma mater as one of the “50 for the next 50 Years,” which celebrated Trinity’s 50 th anniversary of co-education by honoring 50 professors, alumni, and students as Trinity’s current and future women leaders.

Jamie Robinson

Office Manager

Jamie is the Office Manager and Bookkeeper at the CEF office in Scituate, MA. Her career prior to CEF has been doing bookkeeping for local businesses. Jamie and her husband have two children and live in Marshfield, MA. She is also an avid runner and has completed several marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2008 and 2015.

Jane Fischer

Creativity Trainer

Jane has over 25 years of experience in developing and delivering educational sessions, personal and professional development workshops, and training curriculum. Much of this experience covers her two decades in health education leadership, with 15 of these years in college health promotion and peer education training.

For the past decade, she has worked as a Creative Change Facilitator. Her passion is to help individuals, teams, and organizations arrive at creative solutions to the challenging and ambiguous problems they face, and to do so through improvisational mindsets. Jane’s perspective is greatly shaped by 20 years as a professional improv comedy performer.   She is currently a member of ComedySportz Buffalo and Twisted Sister Act.

Jane holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Social Work from Ithaca College, a Master of Arts in Health Arts and Sciences from Goddard College, and a Graduate Certificate of Advanced Study in Creativity and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State. She is certified as a Foursight® facilitator, a facilitator of Lego® Serious Play® Methods & Materials, and a Laugha-Yoga leader. In addition to working with nonprofit organizations, colleges, community organizations, and businesses, she has been honored to deliver keynote presentations and lead interactive workshops at numerous conferences and events.

Roseanne Avella

Flcc Coordinator

Roseanne is a true creative and entrepreneur.    For over 2 decades she has worked to combine her love of creative and business.    She has an eye for detail and a rich understanding of technology.    Bootstrapping multiple businesses after graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design, she has provided creative services to virtually every industry – completing or overseeing nearly every type of graphic design or online/web-based project.

Working for Creative Education Foundation, Roseanne brings her skills to provide creative and expertise to market the Florida Creativity Conference.  

CEF Board of Trustees

Tricia Garwood

Tricia became passionate about the creative process her senior year of high school and has been researching creativity and teaching corporate, educational, and individual clients how to develop and apply creative and innovative techniques ever since. Through her Philadelphia-based consulting business, The Idea Shop, Tricia helps her clients establish a creative culture through individual and corporate coaching, seminars, classes, and facilitating ideation sessions.

She joined the Disney Company in 2001 and is currently leadership development manager at the Disney University, a role in which she works with executives to assess and then design the right learning solution to drive leadership success and optimize business. Tricia also provides consultation to various clients within the company to help them fully tap their creative expertise. Through her research and experience, Tricia has explored the often-stormy relationship between the psychological fundamentals of creativity and the practical components of innovation with their direct applications in business, the arts, and sciences. Tricia has a Masters in human resources from Villanova University in and a doctorate in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University where her dissertation focused on collaboration and leadership creative problem solving preferences. Tricia has authored and co-authored a number of publications over the years, most recently a chapter in Emerald Publishing’s “Grassroots Leadership and the Arts for Social Change” entitled Benevolent Subversion: Graffiti, Street Art, and the Emergence of the Anonymous Leader.

Kirk Young serves as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Jamestown Community College, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to joining JCC, Kirk worked for ten years at Utah Valley University, a large regional university in Utah. Throughout his years working in higher education, he has worked in enrollment, fundraising, and marketing, as well as serving for several years as the director of the Center for the Advancement of Leadership at UVU. Prior to his career in higher education, Kirk worked in sales and management in private industry where much of his work focused on employee development and engagement.

Kirk holds a BA in psychology from Utah Valley University, an MS in sociology from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University. His master’s studies focused on the social impacts of large-scale mega events, particularly the 2002 Winter Olympics. His doctoral studies focused on the 360-degree assessment as a leadership development tool. His other areas of expertise include transformational leadership, appreciative inquiry, servant-leadership, leadership and creativity, and strengths-based leadership. Kirk is a certified strengths coach with the Gallup organization, and spends some of his time consulting with individuals and teams on strengths-based performance and leadership solutions.

Kirk is the founder of 221b Performance Solutions, a leadership and organizational development firm that works closely with organizations across the country to assess performance, design solutions, and implement strategies for addressing a variety of challenges. In this capacity, Kirk is responsible for helping individuals, teams, and organizations identify and achieve their potential.

Kirk currently lives in Lakewood, NY with his wife, Katie, and their three children.

Mary Wisenski

Mary Wisenski is a CPA and a Director of Assurance & Advisory Services for Fiondella, Milone and LaSaracina LLP (FML). She has more than 17 years of public accounting experience across a variety of industries including manufacturing, bio-technology, software, and consumer goods. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and joined FML in 2004. Mary is responsible for supervising and managing financial statement audits both under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as well as employee benefit plan audits, and consulting engagements related to Sarbanes-Oxley initiatives for publicly- traded companies. In addition, Mary provides a variety of consulting services to both public and private clients focusing on internal audit services and her diverse industry experience ranges from startup businesses to large multi-national corporations. Her internal control experience includes the identification of significant accounts, the detection of prevent and detect controls within significant processes, and the development and execution of testing strategies for internal control environments. In addition, Mary has significant experience identifying control weaknesses and assisting in the development of process improvement opportunities within an organization’s control environment. Mary’s experience includes performing such work on Connecticut Water Service, Inc., Arvinas, Inc. Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc., Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., Delcath Systems, Inc., The Eastern Company, and American Bank Note Holographics, Inc., to name a few.

Mary has extensive professional and volunteer experience working with nonprofits. She performed audits for Theater Works, Inc. in Hartford, CT, as well as The Justice Education Center, Inc.. She served on the Board and was the former Treasurer and Co-Chair of Connectikds, Inc., a tutoring and mentoring organization also in Hartford. Mary is interested in CEF’s mission and work as creativity and critical thinking and sees these as critical life skills for one’s career and in life in general. She sees being able to deal with a situation and problem solve using creative thinking is the key to independence and confidence. Though Mary resides in Connecticut, her roots are in Buffalo, NY and she is there several times a year visiting family. She is excited about CEF’s Buffalo connections.

Frank Prince

Frank is the Founder and President of Unleash Your Mind Consulting, an independent consulting firm focused on creative leadership and innovation since 1990. Frank is an executive consultant to CEO’s and Senior Management teams. Organizations hire Frank to develop strategies that drive results through innovation. He facilitates the creation of long-range strategic plans. Frank also counsels executives on their presentation skills and co-creates presentations with them.

Frank attended his first CPSI in 1984 and it changed his life and career. He has served as a CPSI leader since 1989. He served as an adjunct instructor for the Center for Creative Leadership and as an adjunct professor for George Fox University teaching “Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” He also taught “The Creative Manager” course at Motorola University. Frank founded One Ball One Village, a nonprofit organization which brings remote villages throughout the world together through building community centers with clean water, sports fields and play supplies.

Frank applies the same creativity, strategic planning and goal achievement processes to his personal life through a passion for riding motorcycles and extreme adventure travel. A few major accomplishments include: winning the Baja 1000 on a motorcycle, racing a sled team in the Iditarod and completing an Antarctic expedition with Cornell University and National Geographic. He always has a new adventure in the works.

Frank lives in Tampa, Florida with his two children and wife Cherri who he met at CPSI in 1999. She also serves as a CPSI leader and is the Head of Growth and Innovation for Seed Strategy.

Judy Bernstein

Board Member

Judy currently serves as Director, Design Thinking Strategy as part of an FCB Health team that uses Creative Problem Solving and Human Centered Design to spark breakthrough thinking and insight-led innovation.  She designs, facilitates, and manages group innovative thinking and insight sessions across a range of brand and organizational needs. Previously, Judy was principal of CBA Full Gallop, an insights and innovation firm that provided qualitative research and facilitation to major manufacturers of consumer packaged goods, Rx, OTC and medical devices. 

She also served the Joint Special Operations University’s Center Design and Innovation as Adjunct Professor of Creative Problem Solving where she had the honor of introducing elite military operatives to the body of knowledge she first encountered at CPSI in 2014. Additionally, she had the pleasure of working as an instructor for the LUMA Institute supporting client teams in developing their ability to apply LUMA’s approach to innovation and problem solving.

Judy holds a MS in Creativity and Change Leadership from the International Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State and a BA in Theater Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

Dan Buckmaster

Dan Buckmaster brings vision to both engineering and business, and holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and an advanced certificate in Advanced Manufacturing from the University at Buffalo. As President and Founder of the Tresca Group and Director at EcoWorld Water Corp, Buckmaster demonstrates exceptional leadership in driving innovation and excellence in product development and design. Under his guidance, the Tresca Group has become a leading mechanical engineering design firm, providing end-to-end services and achieving significant growth milestones. Buckmaster’s contributions extend beyond his companies, as he plays a pivotal role in shaping strategies for EcoWorld Water Corp and has garnered recognition, including the Buffalo Business First “30 under 30” award in 2022, for his dedication to excellence and client support within the Fortune 500 sector.

Mallory Combemale

Mallory Combemale is a facilitator, entrepreneur and designer of transformative experiences. She is currently a Co-Founder of   Inheritance Project , where she focuses on leading holistic inclusion, leadership development and culture transformation programs for a wide variety of organizations.

Mallory also guides personal healing and transformation, specializing in breathwork, meditation, and trauma-informed approaches to healing. Through   Breath Connection , she empowers individuals with scientifically supported breath practices to improve leadership skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration and resilience.

A Singaporean-French-American citizen raised in London, Mallory has always been fascinated with identity and facilitating cross-cultural understanding. She is passionate about empowering leaders with the skills and self-awareness to lead in a diverse, global and uncertain future. Creative problem solving skills are an essential part of this and she is inspired by helping CEF further its educational mission.

Katie Garry

Katie Garry is a Creative Director at Grey Midwest. During her 15+ year creative advertising career — in agencies and as an entrepreneur — she’s worked with the likes of small-town startups to Fortune 500s in beauty, CPG, fintech, food and beverage, hospitality, among others.  

Katie brings concepts from CPS, Design Thinking and Improv into her work to develop robust visual and verbal storytelling that best communicates the heart of a brand while connecting with the heart and mind of the consumer.

Katie’s perspective to work is through play. She plays with ideas, experiences and challenges until ah-has are uncovered and brains are tuckered out. Katie is someone who grabs attention, but never steals the show. She makes everyone feel seen, amplifies the voices of her team, and serves as a fountain of resources and creativity, asking for nothing in return but to celebrate in the collective success.  

Katie holds an MA in Journalism from the University of Memphis and a dual-BA in Journalism and Organizational Communication from Ohio Northern University, where she served as editor-in-chief of the   Northern Review   and as President of the Delta Zeta sorority. ONU is also where she met her husband, Ryan. They have three young daughters—two who are theatre-minded elementary-schoolers and one toddler who runs the show.    

Nicole Haddad

Nicole Haddad believes wholeheartedly in the power of creativity to fuel innovative thinking. She believes that the key to a thriving culture is confident, courageous individuals and teams who speak up and take risks to reimagine what is possible.

She is the founder of ArtWorks, where she uses creativity to transform the most disengaged, disconnected and burned-out groups into passionate, energetic teams who can tackle their most pressing business challenges with confidence.

As a creative leadership coach and team development facilitator, Haddad helps organizations build thriving cultures through programs that focus on creativity & innovation, cultivating sustainable collaboration, transformative team development, and creative leadership, which help professionals approach problem-solving with a creative mindset so that bigger and better solutions emerge to produce breakthrough results.

Haddad brings over 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and creative problem-solving training to students in the form of highly engaging and impactful workshop-style sessions where students learn through purposeful play in a space that encourages tinkering, experimenting, asking thoughtful questions and sharing unique perspectives.

Haddad earned her MBA in marketing and management from SMU. She is a certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator and Foursight innovative problem-solving trainer.

Kimberly Hawkins

Kimberly   Hawkins   is a Change Management Consultant that specializes in the technology industry.  She has worked as a Human Resources Professional for over 20 years prior to transitioning to the change management discipline. Additionally, she has worked in education as an Adjunct Professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA teaching Human Resources.

Her current interests include understanding how diversity, project management, and creative problem solving can work together to help solve some of the most challenging and complex problems of our times.  She was led to the Creative Problem Solving Institute through her natural curiosity about what she witnessed as disconnect between organization’s promoting creativity but not always supporting cultures that truly support the risk taking and tinkering needed to discover and synergize new ideas.

 She is a Western New York transplant (Albion, New York to be exact) to Atlanta, Georgia.  She is a currently a participant in the year-long Tulsa Remote program sponsored by the Georgie Kaiser Foundation where she lives and works in Tulsa for a year as a remote worker.  She believes the remote workforce is the emerging industry and she is excited to be having this experience and making Tulsa her other home.

She has a undergraduate degree in Sociology and Philosophy from Hamilton College and a Masters in Industrial Labor Relations from Cornell University.  Additional she holds a graduate certificate in project management from Grantham University. She is also on the Board for the East Point Georgia Cultural Enrichment Commission, a graduate of the Atlanta United Way Board Training Program, and a member of the Atlanta Change Management Professional organization.

Erika López

Erika is a seasoned sales professional incorporating videogames to the corporate market to improve their training on soft skills. A social person who builds rapport and connects with prospects a clients in a way that impact results when doing business in Latin America, where people buy from people.

Creative problem solver by nature, in the quest of transforming and building awareness on accessibility in all industries from a vision of the world at 4 feet. A quick thinker, embraces the unexpected and likes being challenged. Taking action, getting results and generating enthusiasm are her drivers in all the things she does.

Known by two talents: singing and finding good food.

Liz Monroe-Cook

Liz Monroe-Cook has been a leader at CPSI since 1991. She is a consulting psychologist who began her work as a clinician, but transferred to organizational applications through a qualitative research position at D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. She trained moderators at the RIVA Training Institute, and was a frequent presenter and board member at the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QCRA).

Liz has led projects with varied clients including the US Government, corporations, non-profits, professional associations, and institutions of higher learning. She has extensive experience in strategic planning, group idea generation, leadership development, team development, analysis and planning work, and retreats. Her expertise includes an array of deliberate creativity approaches, polarity thinking, communication and relationship skills, emotional intelligence, and group facilitation.

Liz has led many workshops at CPSI, MindCamp Canada, MindCamp Chile, Florida Creativity Weekend, and the Creativity European Association (CREA). In 2008, Liz received the CEF Distinguished Leader Award, and in 2014 the CEF Leadership Service & Commitment Award. She was a Fire and Police Commissioner for six years in the Village of Oak Park, Illinois and served more than four years on the board of directors for the Geneva Foundation, a transitional living and development program for youth 16 to 19. She is currently a Mission Steward for Child’s World America.

At Michigan State University, Liz studied music, history and psychology for her BA in humanities. She earned an MA in counseling and Ph.D. in counseling psychology, also from MSU. She lives in Oak Park (Chicago area) with her husband, Dale, a fellow psychologist. They have two adult children, Brenna and Jonathan.

Melissa St. Clair

Melissa St. Clair is the Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (ID&E) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Nuveen, a global investment manager. Melissa has end-to-end responsibility for the strategic planning, delivery, execution and measurement of Nuveen’s International ID&E programming and Corporate Social Responsibility efforts in 22 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Prior to her role at Nuveen, Melissa served as Vice President at TIAA (Nuveen’s parent company), leading the firm’s Inclusion Programming and Innovation and Diversity Strategies team. Prior to her career in ID&E, Melissa managed TIAA’s Contingent Worker Program at TIAA and led the firm’s award-winning and best-in-class Supplier Diversity Program.

Melissa has more than 17 years of experience in communications, staffing and procurement, and diversity-related fields in the financial services industry.

Ms. St. Clair received a bachelor of business administration (B.B.A) in International Business with a French Minor from Texas Tech University.  Melissa serves on the Board of Trustees for the Creative Education Foundation, and the Board of The Sundara Fund, a non-profit whose mission is to empower women and eradicate health and hygiene disparities across the globe. She also co-founded Sundara’s Rise 100 which provides mentorship, seed funding and resources to female entrepreneurs that are building sustainable businesses in low to middle income countries.   Melissa is a founding member of the Women’s Council at Make-A-Wish Metro NY, as well as a wish granter to children with life threatening medical conditions. From 2017-2020, she also served on the steering committee at Lincoln Center Kids which develops musical and artistic performances for neurodiverse audiences, including children with autism and other disabilities.

Melissa is a recipient of the 2020 Women’s eNews “ 21 Leaders for the 21st Century ” award and a Pride Global “ Trailblazing Women” honoree. She is married with two children and resides in London.

Alexander Zorychta

Alex is obsessed with helping student entrepreneurs find their confidence to take the plunge and help them get to product-market fit. He currently works within Amazon Web Services Startups to help university entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Alex has founded startups in biotech, media, mobile gaming, and social networking, one of which was funded by Y Combinator, and he served as Head of Product for Zealot Interactive. Alex spent most of his career designing and directing student entrepreneurship programming that 4x’d the rate of viable high-growth entrepreneurs at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, using research-backed and relationship-based approaches. Alex has coached thousands of student entrepreneurs 1-on-1 and in workshop formats internationally, the most popular of which has been “Strangers to Best Friends in 45 Minutes” that was first tested at CPSI 2017.

In addition to program design and individual coaching, Alex teaches classes in creativity and entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia. Most recently, he was a full-time faculty member in the McIntire School of Commerce teaching multiple sections of ENTP 1010: Introduction to Entrepreneurship. Before that, he designed and taught STS 3580: Creativity for Invention to undergraduate engineering students based on the rich educational concepts promoted by the Creative Education Foundation, and taught STS 4580/STS 5500: De-Risking Entrepreneurship, a course for both undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

His published work includes “Exploration of Discriminant Validity in Divergent Thinking Tasks: A Meta-Analysis” which explored improvements to the classical ways of measuring creativity, “Harnessing Deliberate Creativity” which was a technical note for business school professors to offer to their MBA students, “Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Not Major in Entrepreneurship” which made the case for students to supplement with entrepreneurship classes rather than concentrate, and “The Social Mechanism of Supporting Entrepreneurial Projects Beyond the Classroom” which explored using community of practice as the most effective way to endow entrepreneurial mindset.

Alex received his MBA as well as his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and is on a hiatus from work toward the M.S. in Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State University.  

CEF’s Lifetime Trustees

Dr. Sidney J. Parnes (1922 – 2013)

Sid Parnes is professor emeritus and founding director of the Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College (1967). Sid met the CEF Founder, Alex Osborn, at the very first CPSI and took the conference content and morphed it into a “How to” conference, piloting this idea in his Creative Retailing Conference in 1956 at the University of Pittsburgh. Impressed with his initiative, Alex recruited Sid to work with him and evolve the model shortly thereafter.

From 1967 to 1984 Sid served as President of the Creative Education Foundation. He was the premier researcher on the development of creative behavior, so much so that he decided to launch The Journal of Creative Behavior (in ’67); the longest running and foremost academic journal dedicated to creativity in the world. He is responsible for assembling the most comprehensive library on creativity with more than 2,400 volumes. Throughout his career, Sid has emphasized two key principles on deliberate creativity. First, creativity is the result of a balance between divergent and convergent thinking and second; everyone can be taught to apply creative behavior in their personal and professional lives.

Gordon A. MacLeod (1926 – 2010)

Retired Partner, Hodgson & Russ LLP

Marion Osborn (1922 – 2008)

Past Secretary, Creative Education Foundation, Inc.

Past Board Chairs / Presidents

Duane wilson.

Chief Operating Officer, Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Joseph’s County

2017 – 2020

Thom Gonyeau

Principal, Mountain View Group

2014 – 2016

Katherine O. Heusner, Ph.D.

2010 – 2014

David Magellan Horth

Senior Designer, Center for Creative Leadership

2004 – 2010

Hedria Lunken

Author, Speaker and Founder of Hedria Consulting

2004 – 2007

John Osborn

2001 – 2004

1997 – 2001

Lyman Randall (1933 – 2009)

1994 – 1997

Dorie A. Shallcross

Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts

Raymond A. Binis

1984 – 1988

Sidney J. Parnes

Co-founder of the International Center for Studies in Creativity

1967 – 1984

Lee Bristol

Former Head of Manufacturing and Advertising, Bristol-Meyers Company

1964 – 1967

Alex F. Osborn (1888 – 1966)

Founder, Creative Education Foundation

1955 – 1964

Trustees Emeriti

Robert f. berner.

Professor Emeritus, University at Buffalo

Louis Gersten (1922 – 2010)

Retired President, Utilo Corporation and Board Member, National Stroke Association

Beatrice Parnes

Doris j. shallcross.

Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts

Paul Torrance, Ph.D. (1915 – 2003)

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Moscow Launches New Smart City District as a Living Lab

• Written by Eric Baldwin
• Published on December 13, 2018

The government of Moscow has begun developing an existing district in the city to test nearly 30 new ‘smart’ technologies for urban development. Home to over 8,000 people, the district is testing ideas on smart lighting, smart waste management, and smart heating. The city intends to evaluate what impact technologies bring to residents and adjust its urban renewal plan once the pilot is complete.

When creating a smart district, cities tend to choose new, empty or even abandoned areas to build a district from a scratch, which is faster, easier and more cost-efficient. However, Moscow authorities made the decision to create one in an already existing neighborhood to bring top tech solutions. In April 2018, authorities began implementing technologies in selected buildings situated in Maryino district on the southeast of Moscow . The district includes seven apartment buildings with different years of construction from 1996 to 1998. Each residential building has a different construction type that gives an advantage to pilot the technologies under various conditions.

Andrey Belozerov, Strategy and Innovations Adviser to CIO of Moscow explained: “We didn’t want to build a district from a scratch as a test bed far from real-world settings. Our aim was to test technologies in inhabited neighborhood so it allows us to see whether citizens get advantage of new technologies in their everyday tasks. When the pilot is completed we aim to adjust the city urban renewal plan, so Muscovites enjoy living in similar technology-savvy buildings around the city in the future”.

The smart district residents can access smart systems responsible for heating, lighting, and waste collection. In total selected residential buildings are equipped with twenty nine different smart technologies. As part of the project the first charging station for electric vehicles situated in residential district has been installed in Moscow – it has already become the most popular charging station for electric vehicles in the city. In addition, free Wi-Fi network is available on site. Each resident can install free mobile application to answer the house intercom when no one is around or open the door without a key. The project aims to improve quality of life and provide comfort and safety for residents.

• Sustainability

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莫斯科启动“智能小区”计划，将为8000人口提供智能家居生活

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Local News and Opinion for San Diego

SDCCE to Double Size of Lab, Add Free Robotics Courses to Address Shortage of Welders

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A $300,000 technology upgrade is underway at San Diego College of Continuing Education to prepare student welders for advancements in the trade.

SDCCE will be adding new skill studies — coding and robotics — for free.

Students already have access to five tuition-free welding certificates , for shielding metal arc welding, gas metal and flux-cored arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding and pipe welding.

The 100,000 square foot welding facility located at the Educational Cultural Complex in Mountain View will be equipped with a plasma cutter robot, a welder robot, electrical upgrades to equipment installed in the 1970s, as well as new smart TVs and cameras for HyFlex teaching.

“I am certain you cannot learn robotic welding anywhere else in the nation without a cost,” said Brad Dorschel, Master Welder and chair of the Skilled and Technical Trades Program at SDCCE. “The knowledge our students will gain here will transfer to all industrial robotic industries.”

While robots will not replace human welders, Dorschel explained the purpose of robotic welders is to troubleshoot weld parameters, which increases efficiency and productivity. The Department of Labor projects a 26% growth in industrial automation (robotic) jobs by 2030.

In addition to the new robots and HyFlex technology coming this summer, SDCCE secured $1.175 million from BlueForge Alliance  in October 2023, to double the size of its welding lab as part of a comprehensive effort addressing a shortage of skilled welders. Expansion plans are in progress.

The college’s integration of robotic machinery into the certificate program offers an exciting advantage for the next generation of welders.

When Andrea Rosas, 30, was a Girl Scout cadet, she designed robotics camps for young girls where they could build, troubleshoot and code for competitions. Despite exploring other fields, she recalled, “working in a trade (was) always in the back of mind.” She then moved to San Diego and was inspired by her uncle, a successful architect, to pursue welding.

“I wanted to go back to school but didn’t have the means to do so,” said the aspiring underwater welder. “I was amazed … that this welding school is free.”

Angel Espinoza, 24, once attended Miramar College for biotechnology but he had to leave school to focus on his job. While working on fire watch at General Dynamics NASSCO, he heard about SDCCE’s welding program from coworkers.

Being part of the shielded metal arc welding curriculum led Espinoza to a promotion as a fitter for NASSCO. His long-term goal is to become a welding instructor. The college’s technology upgrades will be an asset.

“The future is technology,” he said. “Learning robotics will open a lot of doors.”

Welding is among the highest paying skilled trades in the country. Welders in San Diego County earn an average of $73,531 annually, according to the California Employment Development Department, which projects 42,600 job openings for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers each year, on average, over the decade.

“Our students typically come from significantly diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Giving them access to learn a high demand industry paired with futuristic technology makes them very competitive candidates for the workforce,” said SDCCE President Dr. Tina M. King.

Enrollment for summer session opens on May 13.

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UM Leads With Fisheries Education and Research

• 17 April 2024

By Emily Senkosky and Elizabeth Harrison UM News Service

MISSOULA – Whether it’s strapping into wetsuits to snorkel for data or bringing the lab streamside to sample fish, the University of Montana’s Fisheries Techniques class goes beyond classroom curriculum to get students hooked on the real-world applications of fisheries conservation and management.

Led by Andrew Whiteley, an associate professor of fisheries and conservation genomics in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation , the class provides second-year students with opportunities to dive into the science of fisheries, literally. With fieldwork that includes snorkeling in the Blackfoot River Basin and Gold Creek, students can immerse themselves in learning while making meaningful contributions to the conservation of Montana’s aquatic ecosystems.

Whiteley’s vision is to empower students to address pressing issues facing fish in Montana and the wider Western region. Going beyond conventional learning, the class equips them with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle real-world challenges being seen in fisheries.

“At the heart of our class is the idea of applied management and conservation,” Whiteley said. “We discuss the big fisheries issues in the state, such as fragmentation of river and stream habitat and the influence of non-native fishes. We then learn about techniques and concepts fisheries biologists and researchers are using to inform data-driven solutions.”

Fisheries conservation and management is a high priority for a state where a staggering 1 million anglers travel to fish in its rivers and streams. The Fisheries Techniques class is just one of the ways the University is leading the charge in innovative research and education in fisheries management in the Western United States.

UM has been on the forefront of fisheries genetics research since the early 1970s, when Fred Allendorf, UM Regents Professor Emeritus of Biology, along with Robb Leary, a former UM biology professor, established one of the nation's inaugural fish genetics laboratories.

Recognizing the potential of this burgeoning field, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks partnered with Allendorf and Leary on a statewide genetic survey of Montana’s native trout populations. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of one of the world’s most comprehensive databases on native trout.

Whitelely arrived at UM a few decades later, obtaining his Ph.D. in organismal biology and ecology in 2005. After a few years in the field, he fulfilled his dream of returning to UM in 2016.

Whiteley’s own research works on habitat fragmentation and the dynamics between native and non-native fish populations in dammed river systems.  In 2017, he secured $800,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct a five-year study on small populations of trout and whether genetic rescue – strategic relocation of fish to restore small and isolated populations – works as a tool for conservation. This award was a CAREER grant from NSF, the most prestigious award offered to junior faculty and is limited to only a handful of assistant professors each year.

Whiteley said he feels privileged to continue the legacy left by Allendorf and Leary as principal investigator of the Montana Conservation Genomics Lab. Ryan Kovach, the State of Montana fisheries geneticist, is housed at the UM lab, which continues to play a pivotal role in most decisions made by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in the realm of fisheries management.

“That’s somewhat unusual,” Whiteley said. “You can find states where it’s incorporated, but there are a ton of states where it’s not used nearly to the same extent. We are towards the top. I credit that to the longstanding relationship and trust-building Fred and Robb built with FWP.”

In both the field and the classroom, Whiteley’s students are actively involved in research aimed at informing the management of trout species by the state. They are at the forefront of addressing critical questions in conservation genomics, evolutionary biology and ecology – all geared towards maintaining healthy fish populations in Montana.

Collaborating closely with MFWP’s state fish geneticist and research scientists, Whiteley’s team furnishes genetic and genomics data, analyses and decision support pertaining to various species, including westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, bull trout, Arctic grayling and more.

“Our collaboration with MFWP and other agencies is instrumental in informing fisheries’ management decisions," Whiteley said. “We analyze thousands of samples annually, and the partnership underscores our commitment to preserving Montana's native fish and their habitats.”

The students’ contributions extend beyond Montana, providing valuable data and research to entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Undergraduate student Max Posey, now a senior majoring in the terrestrial track of wildlife biology, took the Fisheries Techniques class in fall of 2021. He describes a fieldtrip where he witnessed electrofishing – a nonlethal method of gathering fish data – for the first time.

The process involves a small crew of three or four students who hike to a stream with a backpack that can produce small and controllable electrical output. Wading into the stream, the students then direct electrical probes to temporarily stun fish so they can net them and collect data from each fish. Through this practical application, students can accurately collect demographic information on the fish such as species and size range, which ultimately provides estimates of populations in a stream.

“The two most essential things I got from the class were that this type of work is enjoyable and applicable,” Posey said. “It’s as hands-on as it gets, and you’re able to gather a lot of really important data in the process.”

For Posey, the journey from the classroom to the stream was enough to get him officially committed to fisheries management. He worked for Nevada’s Department of Wildlife the following summer and believes he was chosen for the position because of the Fisheries Techniques class. He now plans to become a fisheries biologist and hopes to continue working with Whiteley in UM’s graduate school.

Classes led by Whiteley are meant to expose students to fun field work that helps them understand the key challenges now impacting Montana's aquatic ecosystems. His hope is to prepare students like Posey for future careers in biology while also instilling a deep sense of stewardship for Montana's natural resources.

Passion stirred up by the class is already having ripple effects, as one student expressed following a snorkeling field trip:

“This is exactly what I thought I would do when I came to Montana.”

Contact : Elizabeth Harrison, director of communications, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, 917-656-9773,  [email protected] .

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Alabama House approves $9.3 billion education budget

• Published: Apr. 16, 2024, 5:08 p.m.
• Trisha Powell Crain | [email protected]
• Rebecca Griesbach | [email protected]

House lawmakers approved a state education budget that would add up to $11 billion and includes a big raise for new teachers, a new health sciences high school in Demopolis, and more money for assistant principals and principals.

The House approved budget package includes a $9.3 billion regular budget (HB145). That is a 6.25% increase - the largest amount allowed by law - over the current year’s $8.8 billion. The budget now heads to a Senate committee.

Two supplemental appropriations totaling $1.7 billion include $1 billion from the Advancement and Technology Fund in HB147 and a $651 million appropriation of unexpected tax revenue from the 2023 tax year in HB144 .

The House passed the budget bills almost unanimously and with few changes, but denied a proposal to allocate $13 million to fund free summer meals for eligible children.

Higher education institutions will receive $2.4 billion through the regular budget, an increase of $137 million over the current year. Of that increase, community colleges will get about $20 million more for dual enrollment and other programs.

Pay raises for education employees are also included in the regular budget. Nearly all education employees will get a 2% raise, but the amount of a starting teacher’s pay would rise to $47,600 - the highest among neighboring states. The raise is expected to cost $104 million.

K-12 education would receive $6.4 billion through the regular budget, an increase of $400 million over the current year.

That includes $11 million to fund 200 additional assistant principals. Currently a school must have 500 students to earn state funding to hire an assistant principal but the budget bill lowers the requirement to 300 students..

Funding for a program to improve the quality of school principals is also included . Those who complete the program requirements will earn a $10,000 stipend and assistant principals could earn as much as $5,000 for the full year.

Administrators in low-performing or high-poverty schools can earn additional stipends: $5,000 for principals and $2,500 for assistant principals.

Other education-related initiatives would receive $573.8 million from the regular education budget.

A second bill in the budget package, HB147, is an appropriation from the Advancement and Technology Fund , which currently holds a balance of $1.75 billion. It would be split between K-12 and higher education based on enrollment:

• K-12 - $726.3 million
• Higher education - $273.7 million

Lawmakers did not release any money from the A & T fund during last year’s budget process.

HB144, the $651 million supplemental appropriation of unexpected 2023 tax revenue , which will be available as soon as Gov. Kay Ivey signs the budget, was split among higher education, K-12 and other education-related initiatives:

• K-12 - $263.9 million
• Higher education - $337.6 million
• Other education-related initiatives - $49.7 million

Those amounts included spending for:

• $50 million to fund education savings accounts created under the CHOOSE Act,
• $40 million for a grant program for community colleges,
• $20 million for the new statehouse building,
• $20 million for the new Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences,
• $20 million for the Lt. Governor’s K-12 capital grant program
• $7 million for capital expenditures for public charter schools,
• $5 million for programs to help struggling readers beyond third grade,
• $10 million for the American Village,
• $13 million for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education,
• $4.5 million for the ReEngage Alabama initiative

FY25 House Education Budget by Trisha Powell Crain on Scribd

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Medical Lab Scientist - Central Automated Lab - 3rd Shift

Durham, NC, US, 27710

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories

Pursue your passion for caring and innovation as a team member in the state-of-the-art Duke Health laboratories. Duke Health laboratories are College of American Pathologists accredited and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certified. The multidisciplinary team is committed to serving the rare and complex testing needs of Duke Health's diverse patient population by providing timely and accurate results, educating the next generation of laboratorians, scientists and physicians, and researching and developing the cutting-edge diagnostics of tomorrow.

3rd Shift, Sunday through Thursday, 11:00pm to 7:30am with rotating weekends.

Occupational Summary

Perform a variety of routine and complex technical tasks in the performance of laboratory tests to obtain data for use in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Job duties are dependent on the laboratory and may be composed of a combination of the following duties and responsibilities related to the specialization. Tasks are performed according to written procedures and policies with careful monitoring of quality control and quality assurance practices.

Work Performed

Perform a variety of tests in clinical laboratories using standard techniques and equipment; perform related duties in the laboratory to include specimen handling, using manual and automatic equipment to test specimens, and perform and report analytical tests. Operate manual or computerized instrumentation. Calibrate and maintain instrumentation according to standard operating procedure. Process patient samples for testing using appropriate identification techniques and written procedures to ensure quality material for testing. Perform basic troubleshooting of assay problems as directed by senior staff. Communicate problems/issues to appropriate individuals. Maintain inventory of supplies and equipment. Participate in the development of new medical laboratory tests and techniques. Participate in the preparation for lab inspections. Review lab inspection documents and procedures to maintain knowledge. Bring any non-compliance issues to the attention of upper-level staff. Perform proficiency testing as directed to maintain compliance with regulatory agencies. Document quality control and quality assurance results. Notify upper-level personnel of instrument malfunctions or unusual or unexpected data or results. Review written procedures and policies for accuracy and submit changes to manager or designee. Understand, comply, and perform all necessary safety procedures. Maintain compliance with safety training. Report all safety incidents within 24 hours. Attend all laboratory meetings, safety and compliance training as required. Comply with competency testing procedures for the laboratory staff. Comply with laboratory training programs. May provide technical guidance and instruction to students, interns,residents, staff, and other employees. Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. Use behaviors that support achievement of balanced scorecard targets andsupport DUHS (Duke University Health System) values. Consistently cooperate and communicate effectively with co-workers to ensure effective workflow.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Level characteristics.

Within the clinical laboratories we embrace Duke's purpose, placing the patient at the center of everything we do. We do this by demonstrating behaviors that focus on delivering patient and family centered care and embodying the values that promote a positive work culture. We expect every team member to commit to these values and hold each other accountable in the spirit of mutual respect and belonging.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's of Science/Bachelor of Arts in Chemical, Physical, Biological or Clinical Laboratory Science; or Medical Technology required. Minimum educational or experience requirements may be modified on a on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment) director if minimal CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment) requirements are met by the employee for the tasks being performed.

None required

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

Certification preferred.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Duke is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.