The Learn with Creative Confidence materials are unique and exciting because they harness the power of creativity, integrating children’s social-emotional learning into the academic curriculum in a natural and engaging way.

– Dr. Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education; EASEL Lab Director

WHOLE SCHOOL PROGRAM

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

WORKSHOPS

WEAVE SEL THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY

Extensive research demonstrates that SEL instruction is most effective when it is intertwined with academic content and delivered throughout the school day. In response to this, our curriculum embeds the 10 Principles of Creativity and SEL skills directly into the National Process Standards and learning processes. Components of our program enhance and easily incorporate into current curriculum and other traditional SEL programs.
A female creative coach points to something on a page while a young female student with face paint watches. They are surrounded by red balloons.

OUR PROGRAM SUPPORTS SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

FAQ'S

The 10 Principles of Creativity were developed by Marina and Kevin Krim following the loss of two of their kids, Lulu and Leo. Marina and Kevin looked back on what helped them and their daughter Nessie to cope and grow, and they identified what have become the 10 Principles of Creativity.

While art is one medium we use to teach about the 10 Principles, Learn with Creative Confidence is not an art program. We believe creativity is a mindset and should exist in all aspects of our lives.

When a young person or an adult chooses creativity and uses the Principles, they are learning skills that empower them to face life’s challenges in different and unique ways. Our programming focuses on creating an environment for social-emotional learning (SEL). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines SEL as “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

The After-School framework focuses on creativity through creative challenges we provide. The Whole-School framework takes this a step further by integrating Learn with Creative Confidence into student learning processes and across subject areas of the school day. The Corporate framework uses the 10 Principles to discuss and practice creativity in the workplace. You can find more information about our programs here.

We charge for the professional development training sessions we provide. The programming itself is free. Pricing is based on a sliding scale. For customized professional development for your district, school, business, or youth program, please contact us.

Just contact us and we’ll have a conversation about what you need. The main thing we expect from organizations that use Learn with Creative Confidence is constructive feedback and evaluation data.

Once you decide to use one of our programs, we will schedule a professional development day that works for your team — you can begin using our curriculum in just a few weeks. Specific timeframes will be discussed in your initial phone call.

Our Professional Development workshops and curriculum can be adapted to groups of any size.

Throughout your use of Learn with Creative Confidence, we offer opportunities for our Creative Coaches to visit your site (virtually or in-person) to provide additional training, guidance, and constructive feedback to help make Learn with Creative Confidence as effective as possible for educators and students.

We come to you! Our professional development takes place at your school, business, or organization. We also offer virtual workshops.

Absolutely! Many teachers have chosen to use the 10 Principles of Creativity and develop their own lesson plans around the Principles and their Mantras. If you’re interested in receiving training and curricular challenges, please contact us.

We call our training staff Creative Coaches. A Creative Coach is an educator trained to teach the Learn with Creative Confidence framework to our partner sites. These Coaches have extensive experience devising and leading educator and adult workshops as well as working directly with youth. They also have experience leading corporate professional development workshops. Meet our Creative Coaches.

Our challenges have a wide range of formats. Some are grounded in the arts, yet the focus of every lesson is on the process. Literary applications, process skill modules, and reading recommendations are also provided for each Principle. Contact us to request a sample of our challenges.

Contact Us

contact us form
Headshot of Christina Noyes

Melissa Shaw

Creative Coach
Melissa is a writer, theater artist, and educator who has taught and conducted workshops in schools, detention centers, corporate offices, and homeless shelters. She has worked with a variety of organizations including Brooklyn Arts Council and Community Word Project and was on faculty at Drew University’s Institute on Religion and Conflict Transformation.
Headshot of Nancy Quach

Nancy Quach

Program/Administrative Assistant
Nancy holds an MS degree in Education with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling and a BA in Psychology from St. John’s University. When not working at the Fund, she is a professional skating coach at Chelsea Piers. For the past 15 years, Nancy has taught a creative skill-based curriculum to various age groups. Nancy worked as a preschool director prior to joining the Lulu & Leo Fund, where she developed an on-ice and off-ice curriculum that has made the program so successful today.
Headshot of Damian Owens

Damian Owens

Creative Coach
Damian is an artist, cartoonist, vocalist, and guitarist with several years experience as a Child Care Facilitator at Children’s Aid. He holds a degree in Audio Engineering.
Headshot of Christina Noyes

Christina Noyes

Creative Coach

Christina is a credentialed arts and drama teacher and an instructional technology curriculum designer. She is currently a consultant leading various technology and creative workshops throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Meredith McNerney

PD Facilitator

Former principal from West Maryland, Meredith’s passion is strengthening strategic partnerships with community agencies and nonprofits. She believes that an integrated model between community and school increases access to services for students by providing culturally sensitive prevention and early intervention-oriented services. She advocates for programs to support social-emotional learning, behavior, and academic motivation for students through a safe, accessible environment. Meredith was recently awarded The Superintendent’s Administrative Award for Excellence and Equity based on academic growth and achievement among English Learners (ELs) at Gaithersburg Elementary. Meredith believes in the Choose Creativity Curriculum. Based on her experience, she knows staff and students will benefit deeply from the mantras, lessons, and activities to empower all learners to see the possibility in every moment!

Headshot of Jason Krobatsch

Jason Krobatsch

Marketing and Communications Manager
Jason joined the Fund in 2019 with a background in marketing, publicity, and social media. He has worked at multiple agencies covering industries including theatre, nonprofits, higher education, and entertainment. He earned a BA in Communication with a minor in Theatre/Comedy and an MA in Professional Communication from William Paterson University. Jason has relied on creativity throughout his life in various forms and is thrilled to support the mission and legacy of the Lulu & Leo Fund.
Headshot of Marina Krim

Marina Krim

Creative Director

Marina is a mother, teacher, artist, entrepreneur, and co-founder and board member of the Lulu & Leo Fund and ChooseCreativity.org. Marina turned the tragic loss of two of her children into an inspirational movement and creative curricula that empower children, families, and communities to survive and thrive in the face of adversity. Marina earned her MA and BA degrees in Education from the University of Southern California, and has been a teacher in California and New York, as well as founder of several creative businesses. Marina resides in New York with her family.

Headshot of Stephanie Krieger

Stephanie Krieger

Senior Director of Programs
Stephanie has a combination of programming and fundraising experience and a lifelong passion for making creativity accessible to everyone. Prior to joining the Lulu & Leo Fund, Stephanie served as Manager of the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, raising millions in corporate revenue. Her previous experience includes working in Development at MoMA and planning volunteer events for the corporate sponsors of New York Cares. Stephanie earned a BA in Art History and Business from Muhlenberg College and holds a MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University.

Terese Boegly

Educational Design Consultant
Terese has worked as a teacher, principal, and professor for 30 years. She completed her doctoral work at Arcadia University, Glenside PA. Her work as a principal was highlighted in Bena Kallick’s Using Curriculum Mapping and Data Analysis to Improve Instruction (2008). She has presented at national conferences on topics including Creating a Culture of Mathematical Empowerment, Professional Learning Communities, and Successful Strategies for Closing the Achievement GAP. Terese has extensive knowledge and experience creating positive and supportive learning environments and helping schools address the social and emotional needs of children. She used Choose Creativity in her school and they continue using it following Terese’s departure.

Sandra Benedict

Director of Development

After graduating from Rutgers University with BA’s in both Communication and English, Sandra enjoyed a successful career in enterprise sales at Adobe and Hewlett-Packard. She moved to the nonprofit arena when her children began elementary school, joining the staff of the New Jersey Marathon. Seeing firsthand the impact socio-economic status has on a child’s ability to be active, she implemented a school-based program that incentivizes exercise through play. Sandra has inspired generous individuals and entities to share their resources to further worthy missions including combating childhood obesity, freeing the wrongly imprisoned and making healthy food choices accessible to low-income households.