Creativity Expert Sir Ken Robinson to speak on 'Revolutionizing Education'

Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized authority in creativity and innovation in business and education, will present “Creative Schools: Revolutionizing Education from the Ground Up” at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall.

Robinson, whose TED talks have been viewed by an estimated 300 million people in more than 150 countries, will be speaking at Lehigh as part of the College of Education’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Past speakers have included education activists Diane Ravitch and Geoffrey Canada.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. You can pick up tickets at the Zoellner Arts Center Box Office, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Box office hours are Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.

Robinson has worked with governments in Europe, Asia and the United States, as well as international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and leading cultural organizations. He led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government, and he was a central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. He also was one of four international advisors to the Singapore government for a strategy to become the creative hub of Southeast Asia.

Fast Company, in an article, has counted Robinson among the world’s elite thinkers in the areas of creativity and innovation. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions, and he was included in a Thinkers50 list of the world’s leading business thinkers.

In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts.
Robinson is the author of The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything,  Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, and Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life. His latest book, Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education tackles the critical issue of how to transform the nation’s troubled educational system.

Prior to the talk, students from the Bethlehem Area School District and Lehigh’s Centennial School will participate in a Student Exhibition in the Lobby outside Baker Hall.

Robinson will sign books after the lecture in the Zoellner Arts Center Atrium.