A Pioneering Framework
for Holistic Education

Empowering Adults to Help Young People Thrive

Creative Lives® shares a pioneering, holistic approach that helps individuals better understand themselves, others, and develop greater agency in their learning and well-being.

Based on educator Ellen Tadd’s discoveries about the human energy system—often referred to as the chakra system—A Framework for Wise Education® addresses the root causes of many learning and behavioral challenges.

Whether you're guiding children in the classroom, at home, in therapy, or out-of-school settings, this practical Framework equips you with the insight and tools to help young people thrive.

  • “I have never encountered a more powerful or meaningful framework for approaching education.”

    —Sharon Webster, elementary educator

  • “If every teacher and teacher-to-be took this course, there would be a positive worldwide revolution in the field of education. This course is a MUST for anyone who will be in contact with young learners."

    —Tracy G., University Mental Health Director

  • "I wish every educator in our school could take this training."

    —Alex M., elementary educator

  • "The wisdom of this approach can and will transform classrooms whether or not you have ever heard of a chakra before. Maureen Burford and Ellen Tadd outline a simple and powerful framework to better understand the human beings teachers steward, and to better support their growth.”

    Tatum B., educator

  • "We are noticing ripple effects throughout the school day. Children are expressing creatively where they were too shy before. They're talking with each other about new ways of handling their feelings. There are children for whom this approach has truly shifted their direction forward."

    —Marcia M., educator

  • “The chakra-system approach is...amazing. I work with students who have trauma and train many teachers about dealing with trauma. This is the approach we need.”

    —Kay J., social worker

  • “Martial arts educators have no particular training in how to teach! Your approach so beautifully aligns with our philosophy and gives our staff concrete tools and strategies for helping every child succeed. I would love to see your course offered to my many colleagues at other Dojos.”

    —Kevin C., karate instructor and Dojo director

  • “Creative Lives Director Maureen Burford is an inspired, dedicated, and extraordinary teacher—and teacher of teachers. Decades of experience in music, theater, education, and contemplative discipline have seamlessly merged into her framework for teaching and professional development.”

    —Steven G., middle school educator

✨ Join Us Today

Free Webinar

The Epidemic of Disconnection:
3 Root Causes — and a New Way Forward

Explore today’s growing crisis of disconnection through the lens of A Framework for Wise Education®. Uncover common missteps that unintentionally deepen the issue—and essential new ways to remedy it.

Mini-Course

The Inspiration Factor:
The key to inner happiness

This self-paced mini-course is the perfect introduction to the Framework approach. Starting with you, it reveals key ways to strengthen inspiration and address common challenges—offering powerful insights you can immediately apply. Available July 7th.

Certification Training

Whole Child Learning for
Whole School Impact

Join our in-person professional development series and gain practical tools, insights, and strategies rooted in A Framework for Wise Education®—designed to help adults and youth grow and thrive.

Giving Young People the Tools They Need

Whether you're an educator, counselor, or parent, you know that too many young people experience:
Anxiety, distraction, low motivation, emotional outbursts, trauma, a lack of empathy, and other barriers to potential.

With Creative Lives’ Framework training, you’ll learn to integrate a systemic approach that helps young people learn to:

✅ Reduce their own anxiety and emotional overwhelm
✅ Cultivate inspiration and a sense of connection
✅ Improve focus and wise decision-making
✅ Build resilience and bounce back from setbacks
✅ Express themselves with confidence
✅ Stay motivated and strive to become their best
✅ Collaborate, listen, and lead with care and integrity
✅ Cultivate self-discipline and accountability
✅ Navigate challenging circumstances without shutting down
✅ Value themselves and stay curious about learning
✅ Strengthen emotional regulation and inner calm

These are the skills that support academic success, healthy relationships, and lifelong well-being. Importantly, these strengths can be fostered by educators, parents, and counselors as appropriate to their settings.

Our award-winning afterschool and summer camps program.

The Chakra System in Today’s World

The basis of A Framework for Wise Education is simple but profound: each of the seven main energy centers expresses a distinct aspect of our human nature—such as wisdom, curiosity, self-discipline, or empathy.
You know more about this system than you may realize: without realizing it: butterflies in your stomach, a swell of love in your chest, or a tight throat before speaking—these are your energy centers at work. Helping our human energy system function well supports optimal learning and development for every individual.

A Critical Missing Piece

In an era of rising challenges—stress, disconnection, and uncertainty—A Framework for Wise Education® distills Ellen Tadd’s discoveries about the chakra system into seven universal categories of human development that support every individual’s potential for learning, contribution, and fulfillment. Adaptable to any setting or age group, this approach offers a vital missing piece in our collective effort to help young people thrive.

Based on Tangible Outcomes

Creative Lives has introduced Ellen Tadd’s Framework for Wise Education to thousands of youth, yielding remarkable outcomes. Now we’re scaling the impact by training the adults who guide children every day. Here is small sampling from our 2024–25 Outcome Data:

  • 🟢 93% of trained adults report significant improvements in their ability to help children learn and develop their unique potential.

  • 🟢 73% of trained adults can consistently help children make wise decision and assess next steps with clarity, as opposed to 27% pre-training.

  • 🟢 81% of trained adults say they now experience regular joy in their work and/or parenting, as opposed to 30% pre-training.

“I have never encountered a more powerful or meaningful approach to education.”
— Ree Webster, Educator

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