A key component of the “innovation economy” is the commercialization of intellectual capital. To wit: the brainiacs have to leave the comfort of the ivory tower for the rough and tumble of the market.
To that end, the collaboration between Rhode Island School of Design and Providence’s Hope High School’s Arts Community (one of the three schools housed in a single East Side building) shows great promise.
The focal point of the RISD/Hope agreement, signed in 2003, is the creation – and adoption this year – of a visual arts curriculum that integrates critical thinking and problem-solving into a course of study that helps students use art as an essential part of their communication skills.
So far it is meeting with approval from teachers and students, and if more schools adopt the approach, the number of Rhode Islanders who qualify to attend RISD is likely to increase. But the most important outcome may be the curriculum’s adaptability to other academic areas – seeing how effectively the program energizes their students, teachers at Hope are already exploring ways to make it work for other disciplines.
Innovation is one of the few defensible advantages in business, and an economy built on innovation is one that delivers stable, consistent growth. The RISD/Hope initiative nourishes innovation in the most lasting and meaningful way possible – by tapping and developing the creative energy of the state’s students. It may be a cliché, but it is also true: Children are our future.
