Teaching for Positive and Transformational Creativity through Service Learning

Abstract

Positive creativity involves creative ideas and products that are beneficial to humanity. This paper discusses the importance of fostering positive and transformational creativity in PK-12 and college settings, and concrete classroom strategies for nurturing positive creativity through a service learning pedagogy. A brief history of service learning pedagogy is discussed, along with a practical application of the K-12 Developmental Service Learning Typology, a theoretical service learning pedagogical model. This practical application highlights three examples of how service learning can foster positive and transformational creativity: experiential learning through community service or volunteering, problem-based learning through community exploration, and using Destination Imagination as a form of social or community activism. The latter two examples demonstrate using curiosity to create positive, novel, and useful products through a cycle of deep exploration of topics that each student has an intense interest in, called the Roberts Curiosity Community Exploration Cycle (R-CCEC).