Commitments

One of the first major initiatives of Creativity Matters is a partnership with Lincoln Center Institute (LCI) of New York. LCI has pioneered the Imagination Award, which is given each year to a New York City public school that, in its leadership and its teaching practice, best demonstrates the spirit of imagination and creativity. Now, for the first time ever, LCI is bringing the Imagination Award to a location outside of New York.

Lincoln Center Institute, along with the Association for WA School Principals, WA State Arts Commission, and the WA Education Association and several other partners, will spend the next year setting up a system for the Imagination Award. Nominations will be reviewed and the winner will be awarded a cash prize.

  • Washington State Mentors will create a program with leading companies and nonprofits to match mentors from creative industries with young people from across the state.
  • The Washington State Arts Commission, led by Kris Tucker, will expand arts partnerships to reach more K-12 students across the state, and will spearhead a meeting from the western United States to connect creativity in K-12 education with the creative economy.
  • The Puget Sound Regional Council will add a focus on creativity in their initiative to generate more student interest in math and science careers.
  • The Association of Washington School Principals’ (AWSP) director Gary Kipp is developing a statewide leadership academy with the WA Association of School Administrators, and the Superintendents' Alliance, that will focus its curriculum and program on creativity. AWSP will also dedicate an entire issue of their national award-winning magazine to the theme "Creativity Matters." 
  • The Pacific Science Center will increase the number of high school students in their Discovery Corps program, which uses creative methods to convey scientific concepts, and will increase their Portal to the Public programs, which allow the public to interact face-to-face with working scientists.
  • The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dr. Terry Bergeson announced a statewide program, in partnership with Puget Sound Energy, to train teachers in a creative project-based curriculum on sustainability and environmental systems.
  • State Senator Rosemary McAullife and Seattle City Council President Nick Licata, will put forward legislation to extend a program set to expire in 2012 that directs lottery funds toward arts education programs.
  • The Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession will engage their statewide network of National Board-certified teacher leaders to highlight the teaching of creativity.  
  • The University of Washington's College of Education's Dean Patricia Wasley is launching an initiative, with Islandwood, the Seattle Public Library, and the Woodland Park Zoo, to develop an education program focused on environmental learning for preschool-aged children.
  • Marcie Sillman, of KUOW-FM, the National Public Radio affiliate in Seattle, will produce quarterly stories this next year on creativity in education.
  • David Graybill, president and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, pledged to deepen his efforts to bring a focus on creativity and the creative workforce to the development of his city's economy and culture.

This is just the beginning. To find out how you can get involved please contact us.