by Kyle Dahlem, Executive Director, DaVinci Institute

The mission of the DaVinci Institute is to promote a statewide creative renaissance through lectures, professional development, research and advocacy.

Although some would think this is an impossible mission based on abstractions, members of the DaVinci Institute are convinced that the mission is critical to the well being of our higher education institutions and the students that graduate from them each year.

Creativity involves the manifestation of new ideas, concepts, processes, artifacts or understanding which is important to individuals, communities and our society as a whole and therefore to learners in education.

It is our creativity that has created our wealth as a nation and it will be the renewal of the creativity drive that will propel Oklahoma graduates to be successful in their careers, and successful in collaborative opening new field of endeavor that will create the jobs of the future. (2012 DaVinci White Paper)

Change that once harried our lives is now the new normal.  Moment by moment one finds new opportunities as well as challenges to processes that once were so familiar.  The focus to infuse creativity into higher education teaching and learning is not a “fly-by-night” concept.  It is imperative that teaching and learning evolve through a transformative approach.

Is it possible to encourage and support higher education staff and students to develop their creativity?  What are the barriers?