Creative Lives Inc.

CREATIVE LIVES AFFIRMS THAT EACH CHILD IS INNATELY GOOD, WITH A UNIQUE POTENTIAL FOR LEARNING, CONTRIBUTION AND FULFILLMENT. IT IS OUR MISSION AND VISION TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE THRIVE, DEVELOP THEIR CHARACTER AND REACH THIS POTENTIAL AS ADULTS -- BY ATTENDING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR MINDS, THE HEALTH OF THEIR BODIES AND ENVIRONMENT, AND NURTURING THEIR INNER LIVES AND CREATIVITY. WE ADVANCE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING, ELLEN TADD'S FRAMEWORK FOR WISE EDUCATION PREPARES CHILDREN TO NAVIGATE A FAST-CHANGING WORLD WITH WISDOM, RESILIENCE, AND SKILL. CREATIVE LIVES PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICES TO YOUTH IN THE UPPER VALLEY REGION OF VERMONT AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND PROVIDES TRAINING, CONSULTING, AND SUPPORT TO ADULTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO SERVE THE YOUNG. IN 2019, CREATIVE LIVES DIRECTOR MAUREEN BURFORD RECEIVED THE LYNNE VON TRAPP AWARD FOR "EXCELLENCE IN LEADING PREVENTATIVE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH IN VERMONT." CREATIVE LIVES COLLABORATES WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN DELIVERING OUR

ADULT TRAINING PROGRAMS, DELIVERY AND OUTCOMES IN 2019, CREATIVE LIVES DELIVERED A GRANT-FUNDED, GRADUATE-LEVEL TRAINING IN PHILOSOPHER ELLEN TADD'S HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING, "A FRAMEWORK FOR WISE EDUCATION." THIS BETA-TEST OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAM HELD THE OBJECTIVE TO FIELD-TEST AND FINE-TUNE OUR CURRICULUM, TRAINING MATERIALS, AND MEASURE OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR STUDENTS AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR COURSE. FOURTEEN EDUCATORS WERE FUNDED TO PARTICIPATE. THE COURSE MET FOR FOURTEEN WEEKS, INCLUDING TWENTY-FIVE HOURS OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION, CLASSROOM VISITS, AND INDIVIDUAL MENTORING. PARTICIPANTS INTEGRATED THEIR TRAINING TO ENHANCE THEIR OWN AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND DELIVERY (INCLUDING K-12 IN SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL SETTINGS), WHILE ADDRESSING BOTH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH STUDENT AS A WHOLE, HEALTHY PERSON. GRADUATES OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAM TARGETED INDIVIDUAL, GOALS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STUDENT IMPACT, INCLUDING: DESIRED PROFESSIONAL GAINS: INCREASED JOB SATISFACTION AND PERSONAL WELLBEING; BETTER CONNECTION WITH STUDENTS; SWIFT MEANS TO ASSESS LEARNING PRIORITIES AND SELECT APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH; AN EFFICIENT, EFFECT FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING SHARED VISION WITH COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS; A TIMELESS APPROACH THAT WILL NEVER "STALE," BUT WILL ALWAYS APPLY TO EACH STUDENT AND GROUP. DESIRED STUDENT GAINS INCUDE: IMPROVED FOCUS, SELF-ESTEEM, AND ENTHUSIASM TO LEARN; SUSTAINED SELF-REGULATION AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING; IMPROVED CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING RETENTION; ABILITY TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF SELF AND OTHERS; GREATER CREATIVE EXPRESSION; IMPROVED RESPONSIBILITY AND PERSEVERANCE. BASED ON SURVEYS, SUBMITTED WORK, AND EXIT INTERVIEWS, CREATIVE LIVES APPROXIMATES THE FOLLOWING DATA: MORE THAN 65% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR TARGETED AREAS FOR THEIR STUDENTS MORE THAN 63% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL GAINS; SOME ALL PARTICIPANTS FOUND SIGNIFICANT NEW STRATEGIES, TOOLS, OR UNDERSTANDINGS THAT IMPROVED THEIR TEACHING AND UNDERSTANDING OF INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE LEARNING IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. A HIGHLIGHT FOR PARTICIPANTS WAS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS OF THE MECHANICS OF FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION IN THEMSELVES AND STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE ROLE FOCUS PLAYS IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING.