CES
Creativity in Education Summit
2024 PARIS
Our Objective
Empowering Creativity in Education Via Practical Resources
The 2024 Summit, hosted by OECD’s CERI, UNESCO’s IITE, and GIoCT, centered on “Empowering Creativity in Education through Practical Resources.” The event provided educators with tools and strategies to tackle educational challenges through experiential learning and creative engagement.
Focus: Practical, innovative solutions for modern educational needs.
Program Highlights: School visits, workshops, keynote speeches, and panel discussions.
Creativity in Schools Award:
- Theme: “Creative Thinking in Education for Climate Action.”
- Recognized schools for addressing climate challenges with creativity.
Global Significance: Positioned CES 2024 as a leading event for creativity in education.
Co-Organisers
The Global Institute of Creative Thinking (GIoCT)
GIoCT started as an institute in the UK, and now a registered charity. GIoCT’s mission remains the same from the beginning, to nurture creative thinkers, empower those we teach, and inspire futures. GIoCT wants to make a purposeful contribution with the seeds we plant to bring about meaningful lifelong learning. The main activities of the institute include evidence- based advocacy, international conferences and workshops, teacher-professional learning courses, and creative thinking programmes run in collaboration with schools.
The OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)
OECD performs research driven work to achieve lifelong learning for all. It goes beyond formal education systems and reflects on the future of teaching and learning. While having a particular focus on emerging trends and issues, CERI aims to set a forward- looking and innovative agenda for a changing education landscape. The goal of CERI is to produce work that is thoroughly integrated with empirical analysis and innovation awareness, with specific emphasis on accumulating statistical evidence and developing key indicators to solidify its research work.
Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE)
UNESCO IITE is a specialised agency established by UNESCO to promote the innovative use of ICT in education. Situated in Moscow, Russia, the institute focuses on assisting member states in developing policies and capacities related to ICT in education. Its activities include research, advocacy for ICT-enabled pedagogy, promoting ICT skills among teachers, sharing knowledge on best practices, enhancing inclusive education, and developing partnerships to support educational goals related to the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
School Visits
Paris France
On the first day of the Summit, each attendee had the opportunity to visit a local school in Paris, experiencing firsthand how creativity is woven into the curriculum. This visit provided participants with a valuable glimpse into the everyday challenges and opportunities that educators encounter while striving to foster creativity in their classrooms. By observing real-world examples of creative education in action, attendees gained a deeper understanding of the practical hurdles and innovative solutions within school environments. This experience set the stage for more informed and meaningful discussions throughout the remainder of the Summit, allowing attendees to address these educational issues with a clearer perspective and shared context.
What we do
CES Annual
Conference
The Creativity in Education Summit is a ground-breaking event that has become a flagship gathering of educators, researchers, policy makers, and industry leaders from around the world. Since its inception in 2019, the Creativity in Education Summit has been a platform for stimulating discussions, innovative ideas, and impactful actions aimed at transforming education for the 21st century.
What we do
About CES
The Creativity in Education Summit continues to be a flagship
event that brings together a diverse mix of educators, researchers,
policymakers, and leaders from around the world. Since its
inception, the Summit has grown into a key platform for promoting
transformative ideas and impactful strategies, all centered on
integrating creativity into education.
The 2024 Summit, jointly organised by the OECD Centre for
Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), UNESCO Institute for
Information Technologies in Education (IITE), and the Global Institute
of Creative Thinking (GIoCT), focused on “Empowering Creativity
in Education through Practical Resources.” The program was
designed to inspire educators and equip them with innovative tools
and strategies, emphasising resource accessibility and the use of
creative methods to address contemporary educational challenges.
Through school visits, ministerial addresses, keynote speeches,
workshops, and panel discussions, the 2024 gathering provided
participants with valuable insights into experiential learning, digital
tools, and the role of creativity in fostering engagement across
diverse learning environments. CES 2024 also featured the first International Creativity in Schools Award, which honoured outstanding creative achievements in schools from around the world. The 2024 Theme for the Awards was ‘Creative Thinking in Education for Climate Action’ and outstanding projects from around the world were invited to receive their
respective awards and share their school’s innovative approach to climate challenges. CES 2024 was the highlight of an international calendar of gatherings that promote creativity in education.
Our Speakers
The speakers are listed in alphabetical order
Anne Bamford
CEO, Frankie Lowe Foundation; Director, the International Research Agency; Former Strategic Director of Education, Culture, and Skills for the City of London
Margaret S. Barrett
Professor & Head, Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, Monash University
Pamela Burnard
Professor of Arts, Creatives, and Education, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge; Member of Advisory Committee, GIoCT
Anaëlle Camarda
Researcher Maria Montessori Higher Institute/ LaPEA -Paris-Cité University
Robyn Ewing
Professor Emerita, Teacher Education and the Arts; Co-Director, the Create Centre, University of Sydney
Kelly Freebody
Head of School, Education and Social Work; Associate Professor, Drama Education, University of Sydney
Cassie Hague
Policy Analyst, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, OECD
Valerie Hannon
Co-Founder, The Innovation Unit & The Global Education Leaders Partnership; Senior Adviser, The OECD Education 2030 Project
Asha Singh Kanwar
Professor; Chair, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education Governing Board
Stéphan
Vincent-Lancrin
Deputy Head, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, OECD
Tia Loukkola
Head, Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, OECD
Frankie Lowe
Founder & CEO,
Global Institute of
Creative Thinking
Todd Lubart
Professor,
Psychology-Université
de Paris
Bill Lucas
Professor of Learning, University of Winchester; Chair, Advisory Committee GIoCT
Ilze Mazpane
Performance Artist; Senior Expert, Skola2030, Latvia
Maryam Mariya
Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Republic of Maldives
Tatiana Murovana
Program Specialist,
Institute for Information Technologies in Education, UNESCO
Laura McBain
Co-Interim Managing Director, Hasso Platter Institute of Design at Stanford and Co-Director of the K12 Lab, Member of Advisory Committee, GloCT
Mario Piacentini
Senior Analyst Leading the PISA Innovative Domain, OECD
Muriel Poisson
Team Leader, IIEP Knowledge Management and Mobilization (KMM)
Kaleb Rashad
Interim CEO, High-Tech-High; Creative Director; Co-Founder, Centre for Love &Justice, HTH Graduate School of Education
Mark A. Runco
Director, Creative Research and Programming, Southern Oregon University; Trustee, GIoCT
Anabela Serrão
Member, the Board of Directors of the Educational Assessment Institute
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and SkillsSpecial Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General, OECD
H.E. Justin Valentin
Minister of Education, Republic of Seychelles
Tao Zhan
Director, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education
Grant Winners
Organisation
Ballymoney National School, Cork, Ireland
An Integrated Creative Approach to Teaching Sustainability
This project, involving students aged 9 to 12, creatively integrates music, science, art, and technology to address climate change. Students have written and performed a climate-awareness song, created community leaflets, and built models of sustainable houses. They even constructed a Free Little Library from repurposed materials. The project exemplifies how hands-on, creative learning can inspire young people to take environmental action and engage their communities in sustainability efforts.
Organisation
C Change, Cheshire,
UK
Changemakers
The Changemakers project aims to cultivate a generation of students who act as 'agents of change' by fostering creativity, sustainability, and leadership. Through activities like zoo 'takeover' days, where students serve as rangers educating the public on sustainability, rap writing workshops on climate action, and a planned sustainable art exhibition, students are empowered to take on environmental and social challenges in innovative ways.
Organisation
Teach for Uganda, Uganda (virtually presented)
Climate Education and Leadership Project
Focusing on students from government primary schools in Uganda’s rural districts, this project integrates climate education into school curricula. It empowers both students and teachers to act against climate change through climate action clubs, inter-school debates, and community campaigns. By addressing climate challenges head-on, this initiative is fostering environmental stewardship in some of the most vulnerable regions of Uganda.
Global Institute of Creative Thinking
2024 Action Plan
May
May
Thinking in Schools Week
Global Activities
@Paris
November
March
Agenda released to public
July
Award Submission Deadline
October
December
Global Institute of Creative Thinking
2024 Action Plan
May
May
Thinking in Schools Week
Global Activities
@Paris
November
March
Agenda released to public
July
Award Submission Deadline
October
December
International Creativity in Schools Awards 2024
Award Presentation
Selected by our international committee for best aligning with the 2024 theme, Creativity for Climate Action, the top 50 applicants received a prize to further showcase their
project, and the top 3 were awarded grants to continue their projects into 2025. These exceptional projects inspire, innovate, and impact entire communities, pushing the boundaries in creative ways. During the ceremony, Dr. Andreas Schleicher, chair of the
Award International Committee, provided a summary of the year’s highlights. Committee representatives Margaret Barrett and Valerie Hannon also shared an overview of this year’s achievements. Additionally, the GIoCT and UNESCO IITE announced the 2025 award theme: How AI Can Empower Creative Thinking in Education. Finally, we celebrated the top 3 exceptional projects by hearing from a representative from each.
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What speakers are saying
Reflections from some of the
participants
Arpan Yagnik
TBC
"Nothing happening explicitly—a lot happening implicitly and without their knowledge.“
Professor Kelly
"What struck me during the visits was how schools embraced complexity and creativity. It challenged the idea of simplifying education concepts."
Silke Schmid
University Of Education Freiburg
"I've been to a wonderful primary school this morning, and I have to say, rose gardens in primary schools are possible in a literal as well as meta-phorical sense. Children were just able to explore things in a different way."
Sam
"The visit highlighted how crucial flexibility is in education. The waystudents were encouraged to think creatively beyond standardized tests was impressive."
Sabina Sorrentino
International Baccalaureate
"The Montessori school was an incredible experience. The children were calm yet deeply engaged, and everything in the classroom involved sensory and story-based learning."
Oliver
a student at Paris University
”The visits showed me how creativity is embedded into education, and it made me think about how we can use creative approaches to shape future educational policies"
Our Work
Location
12 John Prince’s Street,
London, WIG OJR.
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