As a compound word for CREATIVITY DECATHLON, CREDECA stands for "the perfection of creativity." It strives to provide a "complete experience" that Dewey described by allowing the participants to experience knowledge firsthand. Our CREDECA flagship programs include various creativity development programs (Team Challenges and Self-activities), the Goldberg machine program, and the robot program.
CREDECA has been recognized as the world's best program to boost creativity, a core competency that the future society demands.
Thanks to the efforts of our developers over the past 28 years, our programs enrich not only the creativity, but also the problem-solving skills and tenacity towards challenges of participants, in an exciting and fun environment.
We have a firm belief that "anybody can become a talented and creative individual once s/he experiences our creativity training program 10 times through 10 challenges each year." We have scientifically validated the effectiveness of our programs by introducing them at various schools around the world.
The Educational Philosophy Behind the CREDECA PROGRAM
Our challenges were developed based on John Dewey's educational philosophy and theories. In other words, our programs are the result of applying pragmatism and constructivism to empirical education.
Program's Cycle of Completion
Presentation of a task (Team Challenge, Self-activity, etc.)
– Respect for each team member's individuality
- Reinforce firsthand experience
– Emphasize the process of failure
- Emphasize on teamwork
– Reinforce a challenging spirit
- Accomplish a mission
– Sharing of accomplishments
--Identify accomplishments
– Completion of CREDECA (creativity)
Team Challenges are long-term tasks, while Self-activities are spontaneous tasks.
Propositions for Practice: Importance of Experience
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We criticize stereotyped education that is curriculum-oriented and knowledge-centered.
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The statement "Education should be a process of restructuring experience" shall be our proposition for practice.
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We value the experiences that a student comes across in his/her daily life.
Characteristics of CREDECA
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Breaking free from education that is focused only on transmitting knowledge that is categorized according to different subjects, our program integrates and converges those various subjects by using day-to-day problems as topics, allowing the participants to become absorbed and enjoy themselves.
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Because the program is student-centered and enhances the students' level of thinking as well as their ability to collaborate, the students naturally come to learn about creativity, teamwork, problem solving, tenacity towards challenges, ability to implement projects, consideration and leadership.
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The program places emphasis on the active participation of students so they can naturally boost their ability to deal with any uncertainties the future society may bring.
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Because the participants' firsthand experience is enriched, they can accomplish their goals while enjoying themselves.
Focus & Results of Our Research
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How can we bring out the students' latent creativity? Can creativity be taught?
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When a team is composed of students who do not know each other, how is the creativity of individual students realized within the team and how does it contribute to the team's performance?
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Which method is more effective and optimal when it comes to boosting creativity ― individual training or group training?
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We reached the conclusion that "though everybody possesses creativity, not all are given a chance to demonstrate it," and that "creativity education is more effective in the form of group training rather than individual training."
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CREDECA is a creativity program that was developed and completed based on the results of such researche and validation efforts. It was designed to push the participants to compare their creativity with that of their team and to evaluate and boost their own creativity.
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Our final conclusion was that creativity "is most effectively enhanced when students participate in creative activities directly," a theory that was verified when we applied it to several students in diverse ways.
Benefits of CREDECA
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Our challenges are a convergence of the classics, language, engineering, mathematics, science, art, and performing art, and encourage the participants to enjoy thinking in innovativeways and to improve their creative problem-solving skills.
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Students naturally come to manifest their latent abilities, and this experience makes them realize the importance of tenacity towards challenges, use of knowledge, and the collaboration and teamwork needed for problem solving.
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Students can also improve their abilities to focus on tasks, give presentations, and manage projects.
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Students can communicate with the world, make friends, and learn about cooperative leadership.
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Team activities help the students develop time management skills as well as creative and critical thinking skills, and also help them boost their confidence and challenging spirit.
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By better understanding their own abilities, aptitude, and personality, students realize what they can do best and also gain self-esteem and become more considerate.
Evaluation Based on the World's First & Best Validated Program
World-renowned pedagogists have praised the CREDECA Program as "a must-experience training course for individuals who wish to become convergent and creative talents."