Young leaders will improve the world

Teach kids creativity and innovation

Look at problems differently

Solve problems. Change lives.

Welcome to Creative Education Foundation

Empower yourself personally and professionally with the skill set, tool set, and mind set of deliberate creativity. Learn how to use Creative Problem Solving to develop new ideas, solve problems, and implement solutions.

CPSI Conference

Professional Development

CPS for Educators

Workshops for Everyone

Empower yourself personally and professionally with the skill set, tool set, and mind set of deliberate creativity. Learn how to use Creative Problem Solving to develop new ideas, solve problems, and implement solutions.

Accepting Proposals

Now accepting workshop proposal for CPSI 2024!

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Parnes Gift Announcement

The Creative Education Foundation is honored to announce a $100,000 gift from the Parnes Family to provide on-going support for its operations and programs. We are deeply grateful for this gift and honored to continue to serve Sidney J. Parnes’ legacy. 

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What is… 

What is… 

Creative Problem Solving (CPS)?

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a proven method for approaching a problem, challenge, or opportunity in an imaginative and innovative way. The process helps you redefine problems and opportunities to come up with new, innovative responses and solutions – and then take action. The tools and techniques make it fun, engaging, and collaborative. Not only will you learn how to create better solutions, you will enjoy a positive experience that helps speed the adoption of new ideas.

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Creative Education Foundation?

For more than 65 years, Creative Education Foundation (CEF) has been teaching adults and children in organizations, schools, and communities how to use the proven Creative Problem Solving process to develop new ideas, solve problems, and implement solutions. In 1954, Alex Osborn – legendary advertising executive, coiner of the term “brainstorming”, and author of the ground-breaking book Applied Imagination – founded CEF. Osborn, along with Professor Sidney Parnes, developed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process. CEF introduced its comprehensive educational program at the first Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) at the University of Buffalo in 1955.

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Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI)?

Every year, Creative Education Foundation produces the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), the world’s longest-running creativity conference. CPSI offers several experiential programs to learn or improve your knowledge of the CPS method as well as a youth program for children of ages eight to 17.

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Our Vision

The vision of the Creative Education Foundation is to unlock the creative genius in everyone. 

The Creative Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has trained thousands of leaders, educators, and consultants in creativity theory and practice, creative leadership, and creative education. Every day, principles fostered by CEF programs help individuals and collaborative teams around the world develop new products, make businesses run more profitably, restructure organizations to become more effective and less encumbered, reinvigorate economies, improve schools, revitalize communities, and replace ineffective methods and systems with new, more workable ones.

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.