Press Release

Be sure to check out "The Creativity Crisis" in the July 19 issue of Newsweek. The article cites research that shows American creativity is declining and explores how we can fix it. The National Inventors Hall of Fame^® School … Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Learning earned special mention in the article and was the only public school highlighted in the article.

According to Newsweek authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, “It’s too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. One likely culprit is the number of hours kids now spend in front of the TV and playing video games rather than engaging in creative activities. Another is the lack of creativity development in our schools. In effect, it’s left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative; there’s no concerted effort to nurture the creativity of all children.”

“The Creativity Crisis” authors explore research that attempts to determine how creativity is developed. The article highlights a project for the fifth-graders developed by National Inventors Hall of Fame^® School teachers. Students were challenged to figure out how to reduce the noise in the library. Its windows faced a public space and, even when closed, let through too much noise. The students had four weeks to design proposals and produced amazing results.