DAMB - learn & tranform through creativity centre : Mobilising stakeholders to recognize creative problem solving in education
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?
Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Team
andrzej
nowak
, PM, Gdansk
, PM, Gdansk
Friends and family, Individuals, Customers.
Our teams won many times during years of participating in creativity competition Odyssey of the Mind, not only in Poland and Eurofestivals, but also in World Finals:
2001 WF- University of Maryland, College Park- problem 3 "Wild.Winged.Wonders"- first place
2003 WF- Iowa State University, Ames- problem 2 "The know it all"- first place, problem 1 "A scene from above"- firs place and Ranatra Fusca Award
2005 WF- University of Colorado at Boulder- problem 5 "Laugh-a-thon"- third place
2006 WF- Iowa State University, Ames- problem 2 "Jungle Bloke"- second place, problem 3 "Ancient Egypt"- third place
2007 WF- Michigan State University, East Lansing- problem 1 "Tag'em"- firs place, problem 3 "Around The World in 8 minutes"- first place, problem 2 "The Large and Small of it"- second place, problem 5 "I'm Only Thinking Of You"- second place
2008 WF- University of Maryland, College Park- problem 2 "DinoStories"- second place and Ranatra Fusca Award, problem 3 "The Wonderful Muses"- third place
2009 WF- Iowa State University, Ames- problem 2 "Teach Yer Creature"- second place
2010 WF- Michigan State University, East Lansing- problem 2 "Return to the gif of flight"- firs place
2011 WF- Maryland State University, College Park- problem 1 "Mousemobiles"- Ranatra Fusca Award
2013 WF- Michigan State University, East Lansing- problem 1 "The Pet Project"- second place, problem 2 "The Email Must Go Through"- third place
2014 WF- Iowa State University, Ames- problem 1 "Driver's Test"- firs place, problem 2 " The Not-So-Hunted House- second place
The founder of the organization also won a special award of Prof. Sołowiej for unique engagement in development of Odyssey of the Mind competition.
As an organization we also gained the title of "Place Of Discovering Talents" awarded by Minister of Education, prize from the Mayor of Gdańsk- Paweł Adamowicz and invitation for meeting with Prime Minister of Poland.
We also participated in fairs "Industrial Technology, Science and Innovation".
6 - 12, 13 - 17, 18 - 35, 35+.
After-School Provider, Coach, Teacher, Other.
I am applying on behalf of a particular program or initiative, Other.
Public (tuition-free), Private (tuition-based), Home-School.
Childcare, Professional Development, Parenting, other.
Putting Children in Charge: Giving children a voice and cultivating agency via experiential learning, project-based learning, and civic engagement.
Promotion of Idea of "Crative Teatcher" in the Education and support of CreoGeneration conference "Creative Jurney 2 the Future"
Taking Part of Creative Konference in September , in Gdansk . Open workshops for Youths and Teatchers
creative, divergent and independent thinking; creative solving problems; practical and interdisciplinary knowledge; innovativeness; teamwork; self-esteem; ability of self-presentation; motivation; involvement of parents
Inspiration is derived from people we meet on our path of development. How they change, learn, be inspired by thing we make, be creative, the feedback they deliver. More and more other centers and people want us to cooperate - this actions propels our thinking and motivation machine to do more. If people we meet are ready to join us in Reimagine Learning, we are ready to fulfill their dreams.
Learning through play is essential and the only method we use. It provides 3 simple effects on people who are taught creativity in our center: joy, quicker results, satisfaction. Participants attend workshops where they create poems, pieces of arts, constructions, vehicles, performances, costumes and props. There are 3 main rules:1) Participants make this on their own, coach can only inspire them 2) every idea is good 3) we always find good parts in every solution. It provides atmosphere that people want to learn new things and don’t be afraid of criticism, have fun doing it and learn quickly.
Potentialy risk of finance breakdown is very low – about 2%. Main income come from parents whose children attend our workshops (70%). We have not suffer from breakdown in funding since the foundation of the center. Additional funding which we can acquire in 2nd and 3rd pillar (30%).
Mission: spreading the idea of creative lifestyle and teaching to make the world become a better place. We base on 3 main pillars: 1. Parents 70%( creative workshops, Odyssey of the Mind, tuitions) 2. Sponsors 10% (OM World Finals, talented children from poor families) 3. Investments from the profit/ other sources 20% (conference KREOgeneration, creativity workshops for children from revitalized area and populating the idea of creativity).
We will use this money to develop the idea of creativity in life and education by : developing KREOgeneration and the contest „Creative Teacher”, sharing the good practice of creative teachers: schooling, seminaries for the whole year, training for academic students – future teachers, other courses.
1. Odyssey of the Mind – learning through play, innovativeness, international exchange of ideas
2. Academy for the Future – workshops for children from orphanage – this forms a new sense to our activites
3. Gdańsk University – researches („How it works?”) and conferences („KREOgeneration”)
We would like to collaborate with the project SoScience. We both agree that creativity is crucial in development of innovativeness. We reckon that the form of our workshops would enhance our projects and integrate creativity with flexibility in thinking and team-work.
Our vision is to sustain the progress of our program by development of our current activities, social activities and creating a new corresponding system of sharing the creative lifestyle on global scale. Our goal is to change the educational system to accept creativity in teaching. We would love to encourage international participants to participate in our creative conference and share our experience globaly by inviting Ambassadors of creativity.
The evidence on sustainable effects we identify in the development path of hundreds of participants of DAMB program. Creativity workshops, Odyssey of the Mind Program, revolutionary inventions and ideas, successes in Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, studies on reputable int. universities- innovators and leaders in prestige organizations and companies, boosters of creative lifestyle. The breakthrough is the "Creative Teacher" competition.
500 to 1,000
In progress
Fewer than 10
10-100
Physical Play, Play with Objects, Symbolic Play, Pretence/ Socio-Dramatic Play, Games with Rules, Creating a Supportive Socio-Emotional Environment, Providing a Range of Opportunities (providing the equipment and materials needed for various types of play), Educational Structuring (developing playful projects within educational contexts), Adults Participating (Ensuring adults are able to play alongside children), Challenging Play (play that disrupts - where rules are disregarded and levels of imagination are high), Other (please specify).
Spontaneous problem solving
none