CEF YOUTHWISE

CEF YouthWise is a program devoted to helping our youth become creative leaders of tomorrow. Available to kids from 7-17, YouthWise is a fun, highly experiential workshop that builds life-long learning skills. And best of all, children make lasting friendships with other kids from around the world. The program will run June 19-21, with a special Pre-Conference available on June 18.

YouthWise for Teens

This year will include an exciting real-world challenge, where teens will talk with a real client, collaborate to solve the challenge, and then present a viable solution. Teens will learn and apply the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process, along with other innovation processes. Over the course of the workshop, teens will work together to:

• Discover their own thinking style preference based on the Four-Sight™ Breakthrough Thinking Profile
• Learn proven and new innovation tools and techniques
• Understand what success looks like from a real client’s perspective
• Frame challenges in broader ways to open up thinking
• Interview and observe users to learn what they really need
• Use games to help focus their ideation
• Refine their solutions by prototyping: building rough models using clay/paper or doing skits
• Polish their presentation skills with drama coaching
• And finally, present their final solution to the client!

YouthWise for 7–12 year olds

Younger kids will explore the excitement of creative thinking and the thrill of solving challenges in a highly experiential format. After learning more about their individual Smarts (based on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences), kids will actively:

• Learn the foundation skills of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process through games, songs, and other fun techniques
• Learn how to actively separate divergent and convergent thinking skills
• Focus on a global theme through literature and heroes
• Model how to improve communication using their Smarts (based on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory)
• Do kinesthetic exercises to focus their creativity
• Explore musical smarts with guest musicians
• Express themselves through dramatic skits and improv
• Create art – painting, modeling, and more
• Laugh and play as they learn

Youth Pre-Conference (June 18)

We have a special Pre-Conference planned for kids 7-17. We will have artists and musicians work with the kids to explore creative problem solving through the arts. Many surprises are planned – stay tuned for more details!