I love your idea of using cooking as a creative learning process. Not only does in necessarily involve the principles of design and creativity, but it is essentially a design praxis. Cooking can be a life long way to engage, apply, exercise, experience and embody the daily practice of building ones own self confidence in ones own creativity. Letting kids cook for themselves, on a daily basis, in a self determined way, might allow them to repeatedly experience control over their own lives. We know that many children and young people experience 'put downs' from irresponsible adults. Self determination gives them the resilience they need to combat creative interference.

Hi Michael, creativity and confidence, to my mind, are one and the same thing. Creativity seems to be the concrete result of gaining a belief in ourselves and our abilities. You say your love and passion for history, together with the opportunity to learn so much about it has been instrumental in building your self confidence. Perhaps, if we genuinly, actively believe in one middle-schooler every day, we would impact on global creativity and innovation.