Our Story

Creative Lives began in 2009 when educator Maureen Burford felt a clear call to help teachers meet the growing challenges in education. Soon after, she connected with author Ellen Tadd, whose discoveries about the human energy (chakra) system offered a missing piece: a holistic framework for cultivating focus, resilience, and compassion in young people.

In 2012, with support from the Marion Institute, the Morgan Family Foundation, and other seed funders, Maureen founded Creative Lives to bring A Framework for Wise Education into schools and camps in Vermont. What started as small field tests quickly showed powerful results for children, teachers, and families alike.

By 2015, Creative Lives had become a nonprofit, and today we offer training and collaborations that help educators, parents, and communities put the Framework into practice—supporting whole-child development and the well-being of the adults who guide them.

Programs

Visit our Programs Page to discover how you can study and apply the Framework approach.

Collaborations

Since 2012, Creative Lives has partnered with schools, colleges, and community organizations to bring A Framework for Wise Education® to life. While our primary focus is now training educators and parents, collaborations remain a vital part of our work.

Marion Institute, Marion, MA
Our founding partner, the Marion Institute, sponsored Creative Lives from 2012-2015, when we became a standalone nonprofit. Together, we continue to explore ways to introduce the Framework approach to parents and educators on the South Coast of Massachusetts.

Early Education Partnerships
We support young children—and the educators and parents who guide them—through pilot programs and early learning collaborations.

Dartmouth College
Through Dartmouth’s work-study program, students contribute to Creative Lives in areas such as program development, marketing, and fundraising.

Become a Collaborator

Interested in bringing the Framework to your school or program? We recommend starting with a small team trained in the approach. These early adopters can then guide broader implementation.