Imagination. Dreams. These thinking skills aren't just for kids. They are powerful tools that can last a lifetime and change your life forever.
This was the message brought to about 240 students at New Prairie Middle School on Tuesday, March 18, by Keri Marrs-Barron, creative consultant who works with the Center for Creative Solutions, Inc."
Leading students with several creative tools, she helped them envision their future careers. "I want to encourage students to follow their dreams. The sky is the limit,"Marrs Barron said. The day's session provided them with practical and easy ways to set goals, deal with obstacles and plan for action.
"I value innovators like Apple's Steve Jobs, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Thomas Edison because they were forward thinkers and risk takers. They overcame barriers time and again. As parents and educators, we want our children to think like these inventors."
In their 45-minute journey with Marrs Barron , students were asked to apply essential guidelines as they generated ideas about their future:
· Seek wild and unusual ideas; · Put off judging your ideas; · Come up with as many ideas as you can– the more, the better; and · Build on others' ideas to find new ideas.
The morning's first activity was "story boarding," a proven method to set and achieve goals. Within six boxes, the middle schoolers drew a picture of where they were now, where they want to go and the steps needed to move from now and to the future.
Marrs Barron challenged students: "Do you think you are creative? Do not let someone tell you that you are not creative. We all have different strengths, but we are all creative."
The Center for Creative Solutions, Inc.is a local non-profit organization. It offers tailor-made training, facilitation and coaching, all with an emphasis on finding new solutions for schools, non-profit organizations, businesses, government agencies, and professionals.
Any organization, business and persons interested in participating in Creativity and Innovation Week 2014 should contact the Center for Creative Solutions, Inc. at 219-861-0955.