Certified creative problem solving Course – level 1
The Foundational Discipline
of Deliberate Creativity
Most innovation methods give you tools. Creative Problem Solving gives you the architecture beneath the tools.
Every serious innovation or facilitation approach, Design Thinking, LEGO® Serious Play®, Agile, Sprints, strategy workshops, relies on the disciplined alternation of divergent and convergent thinking.
CPS is the formalised structure of that discipline. If you understand CPS, you understand the cognitive architecture that underpins modern innovation practice.
This two-day programme in London is the official Creative Education Foundation (CEF) accredited Level 1 course.
It is the foundation.
Early UK Cohort – Special Rate
To grow the UK cohort, our second intake is offered at: £1150 + VAT.
Discounts are available for three or more people from the same organisation.
Places are limited to 12 participants.
Heritage and Accreditation
The Creative Education Foundation was founded in 1954 by Alex Osborn, originator of brainstorming, and later developed in partnership with academic Sid Parnes at the University at Buffalo.
CPS remains the core discipline taught at CPSI and through accredited programmes internationally.
This course is delivered by Jonathan Bannister, one of only two facilitators globally certified by the Creative Education Foundation to teach the accredited Level 1 programme outside CPSI and FLCC.
Participants receive:
• The official CEF-produced Level 1 manual
• Two days of in-person instruction
• Access to the open-book assessment
• Certification awarded by the Creative Education Foundation upon successful completion
• One hour of post-workshop mentoring
• Access to the LAB School community
This is CEF certification.
What You Will Learn
During this programme, you will:
• Recognise and overcome blocks to creativity
• Identify attitudes and behaviours conducive to creative thinking
• Apply core concepts of creative thinking
• Use a range of divergent and convergent thinking tools
• Apply the CPS method to real and simulated challenges
• Consciously lead creative thinking in professional contexts
You will leave with a structured, repeatable process, not a collection of techniques.
Designed for Coaches and Facilitators
This founding UK cohort is intended for
• Coaches
• Facilitators
• OD practitioners
• Innovation and transformation leads
• Independent consultants
If you already lead groups, CPS sharpens the structure beneath your work. It brings rigour to divergence. Clarity to convergence. Confidence to facilitation.
Designed for Reinforcement and Application
This programme is deliberately structured around behaviour change.
Aligned to the Kirkpatrick model
• Level 1: Immersive, high-engagement experience
• Level 2: Structured knowledge and tool mastery
• Level 3: Application supported through mentoring and assessment
• Level 4: Organisational impact when embedded in practice
The two-month open-book assessment reinforces retention and real-world use.
This is professional capability development, not a two-day event.
The Setting
We will meet at Sweet Thursday in Hackney, an independent neighbourhood venue that allows for focused, intensive work in a creative environment. Refreshments and lunch are included on both days.
Cohort size is capped at 12 (minimum 6).
The Pathway
Level 1 is the foundation of the CPS professional pathway.
It leads to:
• Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
• Levels 3 and 4: Advanced facilitation and trainer development
• Eligibility to be considered to lead CPS programmes internationally
This is the entry point to a structured discipline.
Early UK Cohort – Special Rate
To grow the UK cohort, our second intake is offered at: £1150 + VAT.
Discounts are available for three or more people from the same organisation.
Places are limited to 12 participants.