BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:cpsi2026
X-WR-CALDESC:Event Calendar
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Sched.com Creative Problem Solving Institute 2026//EN
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260613T140000Z
DTEND:20260613T210000Z
SUMMARY:CEF: Board of Directors Meeting
DESCRIPTION:The CEF Board Meeting is exclusively for invited guests.
CATEGORIES:CEF MEETINGS
LOCATION:Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:acc209cebb56afcf7ff2ca0753cd284c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/acc209cebb56afcf7ff2ca0753cd284c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T113000Z
DTEND:20260615T033000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing Check-In
DESCRIPTION:Staying with us on campus? After you check in at Caudell Hall for the conference hop on a golf cart or make your way to STAC to check in and get access to your accommodations.
CATEGORIES:REGISTRATION + CHECK IN
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:40b956b06c70c320e3c80e0d6f894070
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/40b956b06c70c320e3c80e0d6f894070
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T120000Z
DTEND:20260614T180000Z
SUMMARY:Welcome Brunch
DESCRIPTION:Enjoy our Welcome Brunch when you arrive on campus. &nbsp\;Meet some new friends and maybe see some familiar faces\, too. &nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a3d50ed177a6330f0c5c58da00ea6203
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a3d50ed177a6330f0c5c58da00ea6203
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T130000Z
DTEND:20260614T200000Z
SUMMARY:Snacks
DESCRIPTION:Need a little something? Join us in the HUB (Caudell Hall) for some snacks\, coffee and tea.\nThey'll be available each day - just drop in when you have chance.
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:aa4a0f7806aa1437c273497f0303c6b9
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/aa4a0f7806aa1437c273497f0303c6b9
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T140000Z
DTEND:20260614T230000Z
SUMMARY:Registration Open
DESCRIPTION:Check in with Jamie and Rosie and receive your conference bag and name tag. Get any questions answered and decorate/customize your name tag with sharpies and stickers.\n\nHousing check-in information will also be available.
CATEGORIES:REGISTRATION + CHECK IN
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c2e1b122338f7b08fd89f0d6b219a99d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/c2e1b122338f7b08fd89f0d6b219a99d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T160000Z
DTEND:20260614T180000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Lounge
DESCRIPTION:A self guided light and fun way to ease into networking with your peers.
CATEGORIES:MEET-UPS + NETWORKING
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:8598f02f5ee77ec7f031ac956cff4fc2
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/8598f02f5ee77ec7f031ac956cff4fc2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T180000Z
DTEND:20260614T193000Z
SUMMARY:Let's Elevate Networking
DESCRIPTION:Facilitator led Networking Activities.
CATEGORIES:MEET-UPS + NETWORKING
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b469c60e1e47589eb41c9b10bafa82f4
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b469c60e1e47589eb41c9b10bafa82f4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T193000Z
DTEND:20260614T203000Z
SUMMARY:YouthWise Family Orientation
DESCRIPTION:Join us for YouthWise orientation. &nbsp\;Parents and children can get to know each other and meet with the YouthWise faculty. &nbsp\;Check out the classrooms and what your children will be learning throughout the week.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:YOUTHWISE
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Assembly Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:58f70285118f9d39a14dbdf771637271
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/58f70285118f9d39a14dbdf771637271
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T203000Z
DTEND:20260614T213000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Cocktail Hour
DESCRIPTION:Get ready for the Opening and reconnect with old friends while meeting new ones. Ease into an evening of fun!
CATEGORIES:MEET-UPS + NETWORKING
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a9e06b5a59f32cdb632c7e9f171567aa
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a9e06b5a59f32cdb632c7e9f171567aa
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260614T213000Z
DTEND:20260614T233000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Opening\, Keynote\, Dinner
DESCRIPTION:Let’s do this! CPSI has arrived—join us as we kick things off with our keynote and dinner.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Social Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b3335159d612f692f5b143dbc8c020dd
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b3335159d612f692f5b143dbc8c020dd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T080001Z
DTEND:20260615T080001Z
SUMMARY:Schedule YOUR Night Flight
DESCRIPTION:Night Flights are a time-honored CPSI tradition. &nbsp\;These workshops are offered by ANYONE at CPSI who has something cool they'd like to share/ &nbsp\;They are often a bit more casual and/or experimental than other CPSI workshops. &nbsp\;Topics can be anything from tools and techniques to discussions or theories about creativity and innovation.\n\nTo lead a Night Flight\, please fill out this form completely. CPSI staff/volunteers will be in touch with a room assignment for you\, and your session will appear on Sched for others to find.\n\nNight Flights are available: Monday and Tuesday evenings from 7:30 - 9:30 pm
CATEGORIES:IMPORTANT EMAILS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:39bd7241919c1e2ab1cbf9fa0e881f10
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/39bd7241919c1e2ab1cbf9fa0e881f10
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T110000Z
DTEND:20260615T133000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:Start your day at CPSI with some delicious breakfast. &nbsp\;Sit with someone new or some old friends. &nbsp\;It's a great way to connect!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7ed19c15c861e6fe6f1a3d6485a9df1c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7ed19c15c861e6fe6f1a3d6485a9df1c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T123000Z
DTEND:20260615T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:If you are new to CPSI\, Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is your fast track to a deliberate creativity process for solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities. You’ll learn the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process\, the research-based gold standard of creativity methods\, and be exposed to the FourSight framework\, which can help you understand how you and your teammates approach challenges.In an incredibly engaging format\, your team of experienced facilitators will use hands-on activities\, real-world examples\, and a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools to give you the skills you need to advance your personal and professional goals.Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is the first of four skills-building courses in Creative Problem Solving. After completing all four CPS courses\, you will deepen your ability to facilitate and train others in the CPS process\, while also becoming eligible to be considered to lead CPS programs at future CPSIs!In this course\, you will:• Recognize and overcome blocks to creativity.• Identify attitudes and behaviors conducive to creative thinking.• Apply core concepts of creative thinking.• Use a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools.• Apply the CPS method to many simulated or real situations.• Consciously be creative when facing problems and opportunities.NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference in order to complete this program. This core track is limited to 45 attendees. You must select Foundations of CPS when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 208\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:08de2eb5a2e5c5028285e53b90f7a827
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/08de2eb5a2e5c5028285e53b90f7a827
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T123000Z
DTEND:20260615T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: CPS Foundations at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\n\nLevel 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools is a natural stepping stone if you have previously taken Level 1: Foundations of CPS. This fast-paced course allows beginner to intermediate facilitators to go deeper into the CPS process\, adding more facilitation tools to your repertoire.\n\nYou will gain a clear understanding of which tools to use at each stage of the CPS process\, as well as how to modify them to fit your session objectives or add a bit of creative flair. You will have time to practice tools to gain real mastery of them. You will also learn a variety of energizers and fun grouping games to keep your sessions engaging and interactive. Learn through small- and large-group work\, including round-robin sharing and show-and-tell exercises.\n\nIn this course\, you will:\n\n• Explore a variety of divergent and convergent tools for individual and group problem solving.\n• Learn how and where to apply different tools within the CPS process.\n• Practice facilitating tools.\n• Discover how to use tools when you or your team are unable to progress or working in areas of low preference.\n\nNOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference to complete this program and qualify for the credential assessment for CPS Level 2.\nThis core track is limited to 25 attendees. You must select Tools when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).\n\n
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Chase Hall - Room 215\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1201107e2bb37fb7e11939b2e7fd9f1f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/1201107e2bb37fb7e11939b2e7fd9f1f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T123000Z
DTEND:20260615T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: Foundations of CPS and Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 or 2 at CPSI/FLCC but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process and have experience with CPS tools\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\nLevel 3: Facilitating CPSFacilitation skills are central to the effective use of CPS\, whether in formal meetings or informal brainstorming sessions. This course is designed for those who already know the CPS process in theory and are ready to put it into action as a facilitator. This course uses peer-group practices to prepare participants for working with actual clients. Characteristics of successful facilitation will be identified and practiced\, and you will develop an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development. In this course\, you will:•Review and internalize the CPS process through the lens of the facilitator.•Experience CPS from several points of view – as a facilitator\, as the problem-owner\, and as part of the resource group.•Understand how to facilitate each step of the CPS process.•Receive general facilitation tips that enhance any meeting.•Receive individual and group feedback on facilitation skills.•Explore and develop your facilitation style.
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 234\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:28445161d297f6a350c9b077ed1dcb88
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/28445161d297f6a350c9b077ed1dcb88
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T123000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:YouthWise
DESCRIPTION:In YouthWise\, kids will explore Creative Problem Solving through fun\, hands-on activities\, "field trips\," and games. They will put their new and enhanced skills to work as a team\, by creating and presenting a solution to a unique challenge.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:YOUTHWISE
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Assembly Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:6b69318bd203fd816528158ed27275f6
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/6b69318bd203fd816528158ed27275f6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T220000Z
SUMMARY:Clare's Corner - Quiet Room
DESCRIPTION:Need a break? Time to decompress? We have a perfect space for you.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Butler Library - Quiet Room 3\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:92aa4dd838d5946171f4d25d170f4ba1
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/92aa4dd838d5946171f4d25d170f4ba1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T163000Z
SUMMARY:Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This Immersion is designed for experienced CPS practitioners ready to deepen their impact in organizations. Day 1\, Tools Off the Beaten Path\, explores underutilized convergent tools to strengthen decision-making and group alignment. Days 2-4\, Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity\, focus on what teams create (product)\, the environments they work in (place)\, and the people and processes that shape collaboration. Through hands-on application and real-world challenges\, participants will learn to diagnose team dynamics\, recognize conditions that support creativity\, and apply CPS as a unifying engine across ways of working. This is a practical\, interactive experience for leading creative work that delivers results. \n\nDay 1:&nbsp\;Tools Off the Beaten Path\nAre you a facilitator looking for tools beyond the basic (and very good!) go to’s? Come and experience firsthand three powerful and underutilized convergent tools that assist inventing\, ranking\, and securing buy-in on ideas\, concepts\, or possibilities. Knowing these tools enhances the facilitator’s ability to bring groups to decisions everyone can get behind. Tools covered: Card Sort\, Paired Comparison\, Evaluation Matrix.\n\nThree Key Takeaways:\nParticipants will learn and practice three underutilized convergent tools.Participants will be prepared to incorporate the tools Card Sort\, Paired Comparison\, and Evaluation Matrix into their practice.Participants will be able to identify appropriate uses of the tools Card Sort\, Paired Comparison\, and Evaluation Matrix.
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:55c956b91bdbeccd223740987372941c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/55c956b91bdbeccd223740987372941c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T163000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Your Facilitation Toolbox: Playful Tools and Real-World Practice
DESCRIPTION:Step into a high-energy\, hands-on series designed to expand both your creative skillset and your facilitation toolbox. Through playful methods and real-time practice\, participants will build practical tools while strengthening their ability to guide groups with confidence\, presence\, and flow. Experience what it means to learn by doing as you explore approaches that spark collaboration\, deepen thinking\, and elevate group outcomes.\n\nDays 1 & 2: Playology: What’s Your Next Strategic Play®? \nWhy is Adult Play so important? How we play is directly linked to how we learn\, think\, work\, feel\, perform\, and interact with others. What you learn in play you remember for life!\n\nThis immersion program includes all the bricks\, cogs\, and wheels found in a LEGO®facilitator’s play chest! We have strategically blended: Six Bricks\, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods\, Playsonality™\, Now What the Duck\, and LSP 3D Diagnostic Cards into one complete two-day program so you can sample a variety of different programs for different user groups. Think of it like an assorted box of chocolates.\n\nThis is a facilitated thinking and communications technique. Our Playology program draws on extensive research from the fields of business\, organizational development\, psychology\, and learning. Using hand-brain knowledge\, we will share the processes that surface information\, explore ideas\, create better options\, develop deeper knowledge\, and identify solutions faster with 100% engagement.\n\nYou will walk away with new insights about the power of play and how we all use play daily to build engagement and resilience.\n\nAre you looking for a session that will:\nHelp you unpack the value of play at work and discover the ROI of play?Access the Playsonality© app to decode your play style?Conduct a deep dive into how play formulates our identity?Teach you new ways to stimulate powerful conversations?Supplement your creative program with engaging activities that people will remember?Give you new tools and techniques for your facilitator’s play chest?Explore how play paves the way to the flow zone\, where we do our best thinking?\nLearning Objectives:\nAdd bricks and directives to your workshops to improve engagementExperience the power of manipulatives with all age groupsApply the five-step process to improve communicationIdentify when PLAY can be most usefulSupplement your creative program with the Power of PlayAvoid conversational roundaboutsUse flow theory and underlying neuroscientific principles that make this so powerful and memorableFacilitate and explore ideas on a deeper level using a play chest of new toolsLet’s get ready to PLAY!\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:46563ecf1f476eada15e8df6467b65e4
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/46563ecf1f476eada15e8df6467b65e4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T163000Z
SUMMARY:Head\, Heart\, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This week of programming explores the shared foundation of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, coaching skills\, and affective skills: each shaping how people think\, connect\, and create change. You’ll begin the week with&nbsp\;A Creative Coach’s Toolbox\,&nbsp\;building practical coaching tools that bring the CPS process to life in real conversations. The second half of the week focuses on&nbsp\;The Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS\, where you'll&nbsp\;deepen your awareness of the emotional and mental conditions that influence every stage of thinking. Together\, these elements reveal a powerful truth: effective creativity and innovation isn’t just about process\, but about how we show up within it. By the end of the week\, you’ll be equipped to guide both the path of ideas and the human experience that fuels them.\n\nPart 1 (Monday - Tuesday):&nbsp\;\nA Creative Coach’s Toolbox - Kathy Goller\nA coaching conversation – whether done in a business setting or a classroom\, as part of therapy\, or as a professional coach – is really just the creative problem solving process in action! &nbsp\;Managers\, educators\, counselors\, coaches and all those who want to help others maximize their potential will benefit from learning some CPS tools and exploring how they can be used in coaching conversations.\nParticipants will:\nUnderstand the similarities between the CPS process and the flow of a coaching conversationBuild their competency with CPS toolsLearn ways to apply those tools in coaching conversations&nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0ea364b51746afbc98138c180c01aaf4
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0ea364b51746afbc98138c180c01aaf4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T163000Z
SUMMARY:Polarities in Practice
DESCRIPTION:This immersive week explores the dynamic power of polarities as a catalyst for creativity\, collaboration\, and innovation. We begin with Genius Teams: Polarities in Practice\, a deep dive into polarities in practice\, building a shared foundation and observing live facilitation to see how teams navigate real-time tensions and unlock high performance. As the week unfolds\, participants will sharpen their ability to recognize and work with these dynamics in their own contexts. We close with Assumption: Friend AND Foe\, using playful\, perspective-shifting approaches to challenge thinking and expand what’s possible\, using polarity thinking and humor for insight and exploration. \n\nPart 1 (Monday - Wednesday): &nbsp\;Genius Teams - Lindsay Burr\nIt’s one thing to understand a model. It’s another thing to watch it used in real time. This session offers both. Grounded in polarity thinking\, participants will learn the Genius Team Model (9 stages of team development with a key polarity or “tension” in each stage) for navigating the ongoing tensions that create a high-performing team. This session bridges the gap between understanding a model and watching it unfold live. Designed for facilitators with some familiarity with polarities.\n\n\nThrough Orientation (Day 1)\, Live Practice (Day 2)\, and Debrief/Translation (Day 3)\, participants will:\nUnderstand the Genius Team ModelRecognize real-time signals of poorly leveraged stagesApply practical strategies drawn from live facilitation\nDAY 1: builds a shared\, practical foundation—helping participants review the basic tenets and power of polarities. We will also introduce the client/team and their current reality.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:48a406c4bb3c2781fa58229277773092
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/48a406c4bb3c2781fa58229277773092
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T163000Z
SUMMARY:Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
DESCRIPTION:In this immersion\, you’ll apply the CPS process to the art of facilitation design to create experiences that truly deliver. We’ll begin by unpacking the factors that influence great design\, including timing\, flow\, and session dynamics\, so you can design with clarity and intention. You’ll also rethink how to select tools and activities.\nThe Lab comes to life as we move beyond choosing from existing tools to confidently creating what’s needed in the moment. Through rapid prototyping\, you’ll co-create new activities and build a repeatable method for inventing\, adapting\, and refining tools on the fly.\nIdeal for facilitators and trainers\, this is a hands-on\, design-intensive experience with meaningful\, ready-to-use outcomes.\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:10e2d2599da422a7e88770b1f078e4dd
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/10e2d2599da422a7e88770b1f078e4dd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T130000Z
DTEND:20260615T200000Z
SUMMARY:Snacks
DESCRIPTION:Need a little something? Join us in the HUB (Caudell Hall) for some snacks\, coffee and tea.\nThey'll be available each day - just drop in when you have chance.
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a8de9a45da258a7e3f2c5af1d77fc2e5
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a8de9a45da258a7e3f2c5af1d77fc2e5
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T140000Z
DTEND:20260615T200000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
DESCRIPTION:Stop by our pop-up bookstore and explore a curated collection of titles published by our very own CEF Press.\nEveryone’s invited—leaders\, attendees\, and curious minds alike! Take a moment during your break to browse\, grab a snack\, and maybe even spark a conversation with a fellow creative thinker. There’s something for everyone!\n\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a46512680c1e7cf291bd04baa6b253ab
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a46512680c1e7cf291bd04baa6b253ab
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T150000Z
DTEND:20260615T180000Z
SUMMARY:Lunch
DESCRIPTION:12:00-1:00 Core CPS Track and YouthWise\n12:30-1:30 Immersion Track\n\nJoin everyone at the Dining Hall for an array of meal options. Healthy\, fun\, and specialty diet options are available. Join a table of people you have not met yet and find your next best friend!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:815d155fbdb29669cc348227043c06e8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/815d155fbdb29669cc348227043c06e8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T173000Z
DTEND:20260615T180000Z
SUMMARY:Free Time
DESCRIPTION:Every afternoon\, treat yourself to "you time" after lunch. Visit the bookstore in Caudell Hall\, go for a walk outside\, or go back to your room and decompress. How you use this mini midday break is up to you.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7d4aae36d51495d5e6b14aed7dfec28f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7d4aae36d51495d5e6b14aed7dfec28f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T180000Z
DTEND:20260615T193000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Divergent and Convergent Thinking through Play
DESCRIPTION:Divergent and convergent thinking are fundamental steps in the Creative Problem Solving Process\, yet many struggle with one or both. This session will explore how to harness the power of play and games to practice sitting in uncertainty and approach divergent and convergent thinking with ease. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;&nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nDiscuss the underlying skills for creative thinking.Identify and practice core game mechanics and dynamics connected to these skills.Reflect on play as an experiential learning tool for elevated problem-solving.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:299a5ff1d4d38135e6e6e58e7e418072
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/299a5ff1d4d38135e6e6e58e7e418072
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T180000Z
DTEND:20260615T193000Z
SUMMARY:Going Around the (Creative) Block
DESCRIPTION:Have you ever gotten stuck when working on a challenging problem? Have you ever found yourself going back to the same solution\, even though you know it didn’t quite work in the past? This workshop focuses on how to use creative techniques rooted in metaphors and analogies to define problems or/and to generate ideas for solutions. Many eminent creators&nbsp\;have used analogies&nbsp\;and metaphors as their way to keep their creative juices going. Join me to learn how to use their tricks to approach everyday problems in a creative way!\n\n\nTakeaways\nidentifying the role of focusing and expanding metaphors/analogies in create problem-solving\;applying specific metaphors/analogies to analyze and understand a problem\;&nbsp\;using metaphors/analogies to generate ideas\;&nbsp\;learning how to use SYNECTICS\, a CPS method that uses metaphors and analogies.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:687ba073f1fb935fc09cad7870730749
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/687ba073f1fb935fc09cad7870730749
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T180000Z
DTEND:20260615T193000Z
SUMMARY:Intelligent Collaboration: Human + AI for ELEVATE-ing your Creative Problem Solving Practice
DESCRIPTION:In this dynamic\, hands-on session\, participants will discover how human creativity and AI’s analytical power can work together to accelerate the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process. Leveraging the AI tool Sluice AI and CPS principles\, attendees will engage in experiential exercises that demonstrate how AI can amplify ideation without replacing human insight. This workshop introduces a practical AI tool and frameworks for accelerating organizational innovation\, enabling smarter\, faster\, and more impactful solutions. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to blend technology and creativity for breakthrough results. &nbsp\;\n\n*If you have a laptop\, it would be great for you to bring it to this session*\n\nTakeaways\nHuman-in-the-Loop Innovation: Understand how combining human judgment with AI-driven insights enhances creative problem solving in real-world contexts.Practical Tools: Learn to use Sluice AI and other tools to Explore Data\, Clarify the Problem\, Ideate\, and Develop Solutions quickly and effectively.Integration Strategies: Gain strategies for embedding AI into creative workflows without sacrificing human perspective.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:227b6cc3f8ffb731abe14f2d115eb358
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/227b6cc3f8ffb731abe14f2d115eb358
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T180000Z
DTEND:20260615T193000Z
SUMMARY:Reframing Creativity at Work: Turning Pushback into Possibility
DESCRIPTION:Creativity often gets a bad rap in corporate and educational settings\, dismissed as frivolous or irrelevant. This interactive 90-minute session will explore how to reframe creativity as a vital\, strategic tool for solving today’s complex challenges. Drawing on the principles of Positive Creativity\, participants will learn to shift perceptions\, build buy-in\, and demonstrate the tangible value of creative thinking. Whether you’ve faced resistance from a client\, manager\, or colleague\, this session will equip you with the tools to advocate for creativity with confidence and clarity. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nReframing Creativity: Learn to position creativity as a strategic\, results-driven approach rather than a "soft skill."Positive Creativity Tools: Discover practical techniques to overcome resistance and build enthusiasm for creative thinking in the workplace.Actionable Advocacy: Leave with a personalized plan to communicate the value of creativity to skeptics in your organization or community.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c5bc689a72a691509556ae7cc0f1bf0c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/c5bc689a72a691509556ae7cc0f1bf0c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T180000Z
DTEND:20260615T193000Z
SUMMARY:Roll for Innovation: What Dungeons and Dragons Can Teach Us About Innovative Facilitation through Collaboration\, Failure\, and Indomitable Creativity
DESCRIPTION:For over fifty years\, tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons have kindled creativity and collaboration in millions of people around the world. In this session\, we explore and unveil that seemingly magical power that TTRPGs have to bring folks out of their comfort zones and into the most creative versions of themselves\, while also learning the facilitation secrets of seasoned game-masters to craft safe\, fun\, and meaningful experiences for participants. We’ll play\, we’ll fail\, we’ll share stories\, and we’ll all leave ready for our next adventure. Suitable for folks of all experience levels!
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7efd6cb63f494947f04cfc86f85479d3
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7efd6cb63f494947f04cfc86f85479d3
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T193000Z
DTEND:20260615T200000Z
SUMMARY:Afternoon Break
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Hub (Caudell Hall Lobby) and grab a quick drink and snack so you can recharge your batteries!
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:8072043a739b0b0cca8be02648f761e8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/8072043a739b0b0cca8be02648f761e8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:From Insight to Action: Measuring Creative Problem Solving Growth Through a Yearlong Innovation Pathway
DESCRIPTION:This session reveals what we learned from a yearlong creative problem-solving journey that blended CPS with Design Thinking and Lean Discovery at the University of Richmond. We’ll share real student transformation data—from creative confidence gains to tested prototypes and ventures—and then guide participants through a condensed CPS sprint. The workshop highlights how structured creativity practices change mindsets and behaviors over time. Participants will leave inspired with tools they can immediately adapt in their own programs and organizations. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nUnderstand how structured creative problem-solving pathways transform mindsets—including measurable gains in divergent thinking\, convergent thinking\, ambiguity tolerance\, and action orientation.Experience a rapid CPS sprint using the same tools that drove student transformation in the Richmond Innovators program.Leave with adaptable frameworks and facilitation methods you can use to cultivate creative confidence and real-world problem-solving capacity in your own organization or learning environment.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:34d0e67dd03dbb6433afb6aecab5022b
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/34d0e67dd03dbb6433afb6aecab5022b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:From ‘I’m Not Creative’ to ‘Let’s Try It!’
DESCRIPTION:Is it possible that when people say they don’t want to participate in a creative activity because “they’re not creative\,” what they really mean is that they don’t know how to be creative? What if you had a few strategies or methods to engage them in creative activities before they even have a chance to say that? In this session\, you will practice creative techniques such as using metaphors and analogies\, storytelling\, and improvisation to spark engagement and help others build the confidence to participate creatively. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\n1. Participants will have creative engagement techniques and activities that will encourage creative confidence.&nbsp\;\n2. Reflection prompts will help solidify participants’ commitments to apply what they tried and experienced in this session with others in their own social\, educational\, or work contexts.&nbsp\;\n3. Participants will have opportunities to share ideas in community within the session &nbsp\; &nbsp\;
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:89e342cdf26a1de745c10018bf47d439
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/89e342cdf26a1de745c10018bf47d439
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:Implementation Lab: Getting Ideas—and Intentions—Done
DESCRIPTION:Why do good ideas so often fail to become finished work?\nThis hands-on session explores the creative challenges of implementation\, exploring five common reasons meaningful goals and projects stall—and what helps them move forward. Using Creative Problem Solving tools and guided reflection\, you will reframe and rework a current goal in real time\, building clarity\, traction\, and a more workable path toward action.\n\nTakeaways:\nParticipants will:\nIdentify why a current goal or idea is stalled and where implementation breaks downApply Creative Problem Solving tools such as mind mapping\, action planning\, and assistors/resistors—to redesign a goal for traction and follow-through.Leave with a clearer\, more workable path forward they can begin implementing immediately\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0975f85db5bbe83fe86c7d8700dd0da9
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0975f85db5bbe83fe86c7d8700dd0da9
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:Pattern Theft: A Cross-Domain Problem Solving Experience
DESCRIPTION:What if your next breakthrough comes from a place you've never considered before? This hands-on workshop teaches the mindset and tools needed to systematically find creative ideas and solutions by recognizing patterns across unrelated domains. Through live exercises and real problem solving\, participants will practice pattern recognition both with and without AI tools\, experiencing firsthand how strategic "theft" produces solutions that pure brainstorming can't. This is a new approach to creative problem solving.&nbsp\;You'll want an AI tool handy on your phone or laptop. \n\nTakeaways:\nLearn a repeatable framework for finding creative solutions by recognizing patterns across unrelated industries and domains.Get firsthand experience using AI as a creative accelerant\, expanding your "theft radius" far beyond your own knowledge and experience.Develop the mindet and skills needed for pattern recognition in a human-AI world that is effective and solves real problems.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b759b37eeda4608612a4398801358160
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b759b37eeda4608612a4398801358160
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T213000Z
SUMMARY:The Art of Exploring Judgment
DESCRIPTION:We all have an innate sense of judgment\, an ability to quickly decide what we like\, what we don’t\, and what feels “right.” While this helps us make sense of the world\, it can also limit how openly we engage with new ideas. In this 90-minute\, hands-on session\, participants will explore how their sense of judgment manifests in creative work through a collaborative painting process. Guided by facilitators from KnowInnovation\, a company dedicated to accelerating scientific innovation\, participants will respond to the prompt “What does ‘innovate’ mean to you?” and practice noticing\, reflecting on\, and loosening their judgments as they create. No art experience needed\; in fact\, Donnalyn would say she’s scared of it. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nRecognize how judgment naturally arises in ourselves and how it shapes what we seeIntentional practices for noticing and managing judgment in order to stay open to new ideas.Leave with a visual keepsake and a renewed understanding of deferring judgmentBonus: A fun\, collaborative experience\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b139e6753b2b8c195c263a36c4fd4ebc
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b139e6753b2b8c195c263a36c4fd4ebc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T200000Z
DTEND:20260615T230000Z
SUMMARY:Dinner
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a998cc4fcaeaaf53f82a94b748a2797f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a998cc4fcaeaaf53f82a94b748a2797f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T210000Z
DTEND:20260616T010000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing: Evening Desk Hours
DESCRIPTION:Have questions? Need some assistance? We have evening desk hours in STAC for just that.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:eb86478f94bcfa1df99e57778ffa8343
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/eb86478f94bcfa1df99e57778ffa8343
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T230000Z
DTEND:20260616T001500Z
SUMMARY:The Future of Creative Education in an AI World
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening exploring one of the most urgent questions in higher education today: How will Artificial Intelligence reshape creative teaching and learning? Buffalo State University will host a special program on The Future of Creative Education in an AI World\, followed by the dedication reception for the Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection.\n\nThis gathering brings together contributors to The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Creativity in Global Higher Education and national leaders in creativity research and practice.\n\nPanel Discussion\nA dynamic conversation on creative education with panelists Camille McKayle\, Michael Lehman\, Margaret Mangion\, and Amanda Lohiser.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Social Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:714f7ef890b834eedfe2be4d1044743f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/714f7ef890b834eedfe2be4d1044743f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T233000Z
DTEND:20260616T013000Z
SUMMARY:Game Night: Dungeons & Dragons
DESCRIPTION:Have you ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but didn't know where to start? Have you been playing for years and want to meet some new folks? Then this Night Flight is for you!\n\nThis one-night-only event will take you on a thrilling 2-hour adventure run by your Game Masters Rob Gelberg and Mark Bylancik. No prior experience necessary\, all materials provided. Just bring yourself (and a friend!) and a "yes\, and..." attitude!&nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:NIGHT FLIGHTS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a46d1949ae446c1514388c2e0c70ae1d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a46d1949ae446c1514388c2e0c70ae1d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260615T233000Z
DTEND:20260616T013000Z
SUMMARY:Night Flights
DESCRIPTION:Night Flights present the opportunity for CPSI Leaders or Attendees to present new content or personal passions to the CPSI audience. Sessions are coordinated daily and updated daily.\n\nIf you are interested in presenting a Night Flight\, look for a QR code at CPSI to complete a simple online form.
CATEGORIES:NIGHT FLIGHTS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:642dc7dbac5cb91a57cb6d43d7953bbc
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/642dc7dbac5cb91a57cb6d43d7953bbc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T003000Z
DTEND:20260616T013000Z
SUMMARY:Dedication Reception\, Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate the opening of the Dr. Sidney and Beatrice Parnes Creativity Collection and Buffalo State’s historic role in advancing applied creativity.
CATEGORIES:SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
LOCATION:Butler Library\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e87ce9a3486d30fac6cf7fb08ff99da6
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/e87ce9a3486d30fac6cf7fb08ff99da6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T110000Z
DTEND:20260616T133000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:Start your day at CPSI with some delicious breakfast. &nbsp\;Sit with someone new or some old friends. &nbsp\;It's a great way to connect!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:dc8d1a9a4a418fe8779f8589e44a6494
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/dc8d1a9a4a418fe8779f8589e44a6494
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T123000Z
DTEND:20260616T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:If you are new to CPSI\, Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is your fast track to a deliberate creativity process for solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities. You’ll learn the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process\, the research-based gold standard of creativity methods\, and be exposed to the FourSight framework\, which can help you understand how you and your teammates approach challenges.In an incredibly engaging format\, your team of experienced facilitators will use hands-on activities\, real-world examples\, and a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools to give you the skills you need to advance your personal and professional goals.Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is the first of four skills-building courses in Creative Problem Solving. After completing all four CPS courses\, you will deepen your ability to facilitate and train others in the CPS process\, while also becoming eligible to be considered to lead CPS programs at future CPSIs!In this course\, you will:• Recognize and overcome blocks to creativity.• Identify attitudes and behaviors conducive to creative thinking.• Apply core concepts of creative thinking.• Use a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools.• Apply the CPS method to many simulated or real situations.• Consciously be creative when facing problems and opportunities.NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference in order to complete this program. This core track is limited to 45 attendees. You must select Foundations of CPS when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 208\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3aa1ea5405ede1422a51aeccfc14d224
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/3aa1ea5405ede1422a51aeccfc14d224
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T123000Z
DTEND:20260616T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: CPS Foundations at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\n\nLevel 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools is a natural stepping stone if you have previously taken Level 1: Foundations of CPS. This fast-paced course allows beginner to intermediate facilitators to go deeper into the CPS process\, adding more facilitation tools to your repertoire.\n\nYou will gain a clear understanding of which tools to use at each stage of the CPS process\, as well as how to modify them to fit your session objectives or add a bit of creative flair. You will have time to practice tools to gain real mastery of them. You will also learn a variety of energizers and fun grouping games to keep your sessions engaging and interactive. Learn through small- and large-group work\, including round-robin sharing and show-and-tell exercises.\n\nIn this course\, you will:\n\n• Explore a variety of divergent and convergent tools for individual and group problem solving.\n• Learn how and where to apply different tools within the CPS process.\n• Practice facilitating tools.\n• Discover how to use tools when you or your team are unable to progress or working in areas of low preference.\n\nNOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference to complete this program and qualify for the credential assessment for CPS Level 2.\nThis core track is limited to 25 attendees. You must select Tools when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).\n\n
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Chase Hall - Room 215\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:607ea87d6bcd2887bf367e4522cd573e
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/607ea87d6bcd2887bf367e4522cd573e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T123000Z
DTEND:20260616T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: Foundations of CPS and Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 or 2 at CPSI/FLCC but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process and have experience with CPS tools\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\nLevel 3: Facilitating CPSFacilitation skills are central to the effective use of CPS\, whether in formal meetings or informal brainstorming sessions. This course is designed for those who already know the CPS process in theory and are ready to put it into action as a facilitator. This course uses peer-group practices to prepare participants for working with actual clients. Characteristics of successful facilitation will be identified and practiced\, and you will develop an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development. In this course\, you will:•Review and internalize the CPS process through the lens of the facilitator.•Experience CPS from several points of view – as a facilitator\, as the problem-owner\, and as part of the resource group.•Understand how to facilitate each step of the CPS process.•Receive general facilitation tips that enhance any meeting.•Receive individual and group feedback on facilitation skills.•Explore and develop your facilitation style.
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 234\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:64d8211b4e515c99db02e3718d31133a
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/64d8211b4e515c99db02e3718d31133a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T123000Z
DTEND:20260616T213000Z
SUMMARY:YouthWise
DESCRIPTION:In YouthWise\, kids will explore Creative Problem Solving through fun\, hands-on activities\, "field trips\," and games. They will put their new and enhanced skills to work as a team\, by creating and presenting a solution to a unique challenge.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:YOUTHWISE
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Assembly Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:27c131fae5d0443a9edd4c7a113392c8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/27c131fae5d0443a9edd4c7a113392c8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T163000Z
SUMMARY:Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This Immersion is designed for experienced CPS practitioners ready to deepen their impact in organizations. Day 1\, Tools Off the Beaten Path\, explores underutilized convergent tools to strengthen decision-making and group alignment. Days 2-4\, Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity\, focus on what teams create (product)\, the environments they work in (place)\, and the people and processes that shape collaboration. Through hands-on application and real-world challenges\, participants will learn to diagnose team dynamics\, recognize conditions that support creativity\, and apply CPS as a unifying engine across ways of working. This is a practical\, interactive experience for leading creative work that delivers results. \n\nDays 2 - 4: Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity - Michael Ackerbauer\, PhD\, and Christa Heydt-Hernandez\nEvery organization has a rhythm. Some teams find it and produce work they didn't know was possible. Others grind against each other and call it culture. The difference isn't luck — it's whether leaders can read the signals their teams are already sending and respond with the right move at the right time. This three-day immersion adapts a three-week graduate course into a hands-on practitioner experience. Across three 3.5-hour sessions\, we'll work the creative systems that shape what gets built\, where creativity can breathe\, and how people actually collaborate when the work gets hard. Day 2 opens with the product of creativity: what we're here to make\, how innovation actually happens in organizations\, and why most change efforts stall before they start. Day 3 turns to place: the climate\, culture\, and psychological conditions that either invite creative work or quietly shut it down. Day 4 lands on the person and process: how cognitive preferences\, emotional intelligence\, and creative problem solving become the substrate underneath agile\, design thinking\, and every other framework you're already using. You'll leave able to:\nDiagnose where your team spends its collaborative energy\, and where it doesn'tRecognize the climate signals that predict creative outcomes before they appear in resultsApply Creative Problem Solving as the integrative engine beneath your existing ways of working\nBring a challenge from your own context. We'll work it together.\n\n\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5c058a31e143dca86434acb036c1ac7e
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/5c058a31e143dca86434acb036c1ac7e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T163000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Your Facilitation Toolbox: Playful Tools and Real-World Practice
DESCRIPTION:Step into a high-energy\, hands-on series designed to expand both your creative skillset and your facilitation toolbox. Through playful methods and real-time practice\, participants will build practical tools while strengthening their ability to guide groups with confidence\, presence\, and flow. Experience what it means to learn by doing as you explore approaches that spark collaboration\, deepen thinking\, and elevate group outcomes.\n\nDays 1 & 2: Playology: What’s Your Next Strategic Play®?\nWhy is Adult Play so important? How we play is directly linked to how we learn\, think\, work\, feel\, perform\, and interact with others. What you learn in play you remember for life!\n\nThis immersion program includes all the bricks\, cogs\, and wheels found in a LEGO®facilitator’s play chest! We have strategically blended: Six Bricks\, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods\, Playsonality™\, Now What the Duck\, and LSP 3D Diagnostic Cards into one complete two-day program so you can sample a variety of different programs for different user groups. Think of it like an assorted box of chocolates.\n\nThis is a facilitated thinking and communications technique. Our Playology program draws on extensive research from the fields of business\, organizational development\, psychology\, and learning. Using hand-brain knowledge\, we will share the processes that surface information\, explore ideas\, create better options\, develop deeper knowledge\, and identify solutions faster with 100% engagement.\n\nYou will walk away with new insights about the power of play and how we all use play daily to build engagement and resilience.\n\nAre you looking for a session that will:\nHelp you unpack the value of play at work and discover the ROI of play?Access the Playsonality© app to decode your play style?Conduct a deep dive into how play formulates our identity?Teach you new ways to stimulate powerful conversations?Supplement your creative program with engaging activities that people will remember?Give you new tools and techniques for your facilitator’s play chest?Explore how play paves the way to the flow zone\, where we do our best thinking?\nLearning Objectives:\nAdd bricks and directives to your workshops to improve engagementExperience the power of manipulatives with all age groupsApply the five-step process to improve communicationIdentify when PLAY can be most usefulSupplement your creative program with the Power of PlayAvoid conversational roundaboutsUse flow theory and underlying neuroscientific principles that make this so powerful and memorableFacilitate and explore ideas on a deeper level using a play chest of new toolsLet’s get ready to PLAY!\n\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:93a7b338520faa9bd17f50120fee7f11
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/93a7b338520faa9bd17f50120fee7f11
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T163000Z
SUMMARY:Head\, Heart\, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This week of programming explores the shared foundation of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, coaching skills\, and affective skills: each shaping how people think\, connect\, and create change. You’ll begin the week with&nbsp\;A Creative Coach’s Toolbox\,&nbsp\;building practical coaching tools that bring the CPS process to life in real conversations. The second half of the week focuses on&nbsp\;The Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS\, where you'll&nbsp\;deepen your awareness of the emotional and mental conditions that influence every stage of thinking. Together\, these elements reveal a powerful truth: effective creativity and innovation isn’t just about process\, but about how we show up within it. By the end of the week\, you’ll be equipped to guide both the path of ideas and the human experience that fuels them.\n\nPart 1 (Monday - Tuesday):&nbsp\;\nA Creative Coach’s Toolbox - Kathy Goller\nA coaching conversation – whether done in a business setting or a classroom\, as part of therapy\, or as a professional coach – is really just the creative problem solving process in action! &nbsp\;Managers\, educators\, counselors\, coaches and all those who want to help others maximize their potential will benefit from learning some CPS tools and exploring how they can be used in coaching conversations.\nParticipants will:\nUnderstand the similarities between the CPS process and the flow of a coaching conversationBuild their competency with CPS toolsLearn ways to apply those tools in coaching conversations&nbsp\;\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fd35d94f69ed4f5d068b5f2cef1d9105
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/fd35d94f69ed4f5d068b5f2cef1d9105
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T163000Z
SUMMARY:Polarities in Practice
DESCRIPTION:This immersive week explores the dynamic power of polarities as a catalyst for creativity\, collaboration\, and innovation. We begin with Genius Teams: Polarities in Practice\, a deep dive into polarities in practice\, building a shared foundation and observing live facilitation to see how teams navigate real-time tensions and unlock high performance. As the week unfolds\, participants will sharpen their ability to recognize and work with these dynamics in their own contexts. We close with Assumption: Friend AND Foe\, using playful\, perspective-shifting approaches to challenge thinking and expand what’s possible\, using polarity thinking and humor for insight and exploration. \n\nPart 1 (Monday - Wednesday): &nbsp\;Genius Teams - Lindsay Burr\nIt’s one thing to understand a model. It’s another thing to watch it used in real time. This session offers both. Grounded in polarity thinking\, participants will learn the Genius Team Model (9 stages of team development with a key polarity or “tension” in each stage) for navigating the ongoing tensions that create a high-performing team. This session bridges the gap between understanding a model and watching it unfold live. Designed for facilitators with some familiarity with polarities.\n\nThrough Orientation (Day 1)\, Live Practice (Day 2)\, and Debrief/Translation (Day 3)\, participants will:\nUnderstand the Genius Team ModelRecognize real-time signals of poorly leveraged stagesApply practical strategies drawn from live facilitation\nDAY 2: provides a rare opportunity to observe a full facilitation in a fishbowl format. Participants will see how a facilitator makes real-time decisions: what they listen for\, where they intervene\, and how they work with competing dynamics as they unfold. Watch a live engagement with the clients and then a group debrief of the experience and observations. A structured debrief makes the invisible visible\, translating observation into concrete facilitation practice.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0123c0db5e49400afc58968aadb4ce7a
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0123c0db5e49400afc58968aadb4ce7a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T163000Z
SUMMARY:Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
DESCRIPTION:In this immersion\, you’ll apply the CPS process to the art of facilitation design to create experiences that truly deliver. We’ll begin by unpacking the factors that influence great design\, including timing\, flow\, and session dynamics\, so you can design with clarity and intention. You’ll also rethink how to select tools and activities.\nThe Lab comes to life as we move beyond choosing from existing tools to confidently creating what’s needed in the moment. Through rapid prototyping\, you’ll co-create new activities and build a repeatable method for inventing\, adapting\, and refining tools on the fly.\nIdeal for facilitators and trainers\, this is a hands-on\, design-intensive experience with meaningful\, ready-to-use outcomes.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f5be79e55e765fd29a425476b7c55d02
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/f5be79e55e765fd29a425476b7c55d02
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T130000Z
DTEND:20260616T200000Z
SUMMARY:Snacks
DESCRIPTION:Need a little something? Join us in the HUB (Caudell Hall) for some snacks\, coffee and tea.\nThey'll be available each day - just drop in when you have chance.
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bfc4502dbeb0fef2b8c194acf7cf5c36
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/bfc4502dbeb0fef2b8c194acf7cf5c36
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T140000Z
DTEND:20260616T200000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
DESCRIPTION:Stop by our pop-up bookstore and explore a curated collection of titles published by our very own CEF Press.\nEveryone’s invited—leaders\, attendees\, and curious minds alike! Take a moment during your break to browse\, grab a snack\, and maybe even spark a conversation with a fellow creative thinker. There’s something for everyone!\n\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:114fce5f5f3db5c2e62b3e41c8da9ef3
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/114fce5f5f3db5c2e62b3e41c8da9ef3
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T150000Z
DTEND:20260616T180000Z
SUMMARY:Lunch
DESCRIPTION:12:00-1:00 Core CPS Track and YouthWise\n12:30-1:30 Immersion Track\n\nJoin everyone at the Dining Hall for an array of meal options. Healthy\, fun\, and specialty diet options are available. Join a table of people you have not met yet and find your next best friend!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:51c27a40715ce4dc6180f55f977ed2c9
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/51c27a40715ce4dc6180f55f977ed2c9
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T171500Z
DTEND:20260616T174500Z
SUMMARY:Library Tour with Gerard Puccio
DESCRIPTION:A guided library tour with Gerard Puccio\, SUNY Distinguished Professor & Department Chair. &nbsp\;If you're into everything creative and the history of it all - join Gerard for this limited opportunity.\n\nA sign up sheet will be available at Registration Check In on Sunday\, June 14th.This tour is limited to 15 people.Meet inside the library entrance\, facing Campbell Student Union (view the venue map)Arrive at 1:10 pm.
CATEGORIES:MEET-UPS + NETWORKING
LOCATION:Butler Library\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e985219438acd970bf3f1c5ee00cd683
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/e985219438acd970bf3f1c5ee00cd683
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T173000Z
DTEND:20260616T180000Z
SUMMARY:Free Time
DESCRIPTION:Every afternoon\, treat yourself to "you time" after lunch. Visit the bookstore in Caudell Hall\, go for a walk outside\, or go back to your room and decompress. How you use this mini midday break is up to you.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:08481576e7bfba016d2fb8243a28040c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/08481576e7bfba016d2fb8243a28040c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:Co-Create to Elevate: Designing Better Services Through Shared Creativity
DESCRIPTION:In this workshop\, participants will explore how to use creative collaboration and design thinking to transform the way government and public institutions deliver services. Through an immersive design sprint simulation\, attendees will learn how to bring together staff\, citizens\, and leaders to co-design people-first solutions that stick. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nExperience the impact of co-creation on problem solving and alignment.Learn facilitation techniques to foster creativity and inclusion.Identify ways to adapt design thinking for complex government challenges. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0730bac2f723f586da599d8d0a36c2c8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0730bac2f723f586da599d8d0a36c2c8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:Creative Thinking Profiles\, Preferences\, and Possibilities
DESCRIPTION:Creative thinking profiles and assessments such as FourSight\, KAI\, VIEW\, and others are widely used to help individuals and teams understand creative differences. At CPSI\, we are lucky to have both designers and users of various profiles and assessments\, and therefore\, we wanted to open a discussion on what we can learn from these creative thinking profiles collectively. Through interactive discussions and reflection\, we’ll explore how creative thinking profiles can inform facilitation\, team dynamics\, and process design. We hope to surface practical lessons that cut across multiple assessments. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nParticipants will be familiar with similarities and some differences across a range of creative profiles and assessments.Participants will develop greater awareness of how context\, language\, and facilitation choices shape the impact of creative thinking profiles\, supporting more responsible\, flexible\, and effective use.Participants will leave with ideas for translating profile insights into facilitation choices\, team conversations\, and creative process design.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b3d42a968cb81acf761847e5a21a4584
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b3d42a968cb81acf761847e5a21a4584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:Storytelling for Impact: Elevate How You Communicate Through the Creative Problem Solving Process
DESCRIPTION:The most compelling storytellers do more than inform—they shift perspectives\, spark emotion\, and catalyze action. TEDx Talks provide great examples. This workshop teaches participants how to design powerful\, audience-centered stories using the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process as a backbone for crafting impactful narratives. Through hands-on exercises\, participants transform a personal or professional insight into a compelling talk outline that elevates ideas and connects deeply with listeners. Attendees leave with a structured storytelling method they can use in classrooms\, boardrooms\, and stages of all kinds\, even TEDx. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nA repeatable storytelling framework based on each stage of the Creative Problem Solving process.A draft TEDx-style talk outline built in-session using tools for insight generation\, reframing\, and story shaping.Techniques to elevate message clarity\, emotional resonance\, and narrative flow for greater audience impact.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7f1ddb9c18351ab3de7e0e038dc8d61f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7f1ddb9c18351ab3de7e0e038dc8d61f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:The Right Strength at the Right Stage
DESCRIPTION:It’s not a question of IF you are creative\, it’s a question of HOW you are creative. In what ways can you leverage your unique talents in the creative problem solving process? Through guided reflection and process mapping\, you will examine how your CliftonStrengths talent themes support—or sometimes complicate—different stages of the Creative Problem Solving process. You’ll learn how you are wired to make a unique and valuable contribution to problem solving processes and help teams achieve better outcomes.\n\nNote: It will be helpful for participants to come to the session knowing their top 5 talent themes from Gallup’s CliftonStrengths Assessment.\n\nTakeaways:\nParticipants will gain:\n1) Clarity about where their strengths are most powerful in the CPS process—and where they may need to adapt or partner\n2) Greater awareness of what supports or drains their energy at different CPS stages\n3) Practical insight into how diverse strengths can be intentionally leveraged on creative teams
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d2570f2653d0ab92b3dba12d6fb2eade
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/d2570f2653d0ab92b3dba12d6fb2eade
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:Unlocking the Power of Constraints: How Limits Make Us More Creative
DESCRIPTION:Creativity is often sparked not by unlimited freedom\, but by meaningful constraints. &nbsp\;In this interactive workshop\, participants experience how limits on time\, materials\, and rules can actually increase innovation through hands-on design challenges. &nbsp\;Drawing on Creative Problem Solving principles and Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints\, this session will reveal how identifying and leveraging limitations can unlock new possibilities. &nbsp\;Participants will leave with practical strategies for using constraints as powerful tools for creativity\, problem solving\, and systems improvement in any context. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nConstraints are catalysts\, not barriers.Participants will understand that thoughtfully designed limits can focus thinking\, increase originality\, and lead to stronger creative outcomes.\nIdentifying the constraint unlocks improvement.By experiencing and reflecting on "bottlenecks" in hands-on challenges\, participants learn to recognize leverage points in creative processes\, teams\, and systems.\nCreativity thrives at the intersection of structure and imagination.Participants will leave with practical strategies for balancing freedom and structure to improve problem solving\, collaboration\, and innovation in real-world contexts.\n\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:cb595e935bea63442abd4634786b04a0
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/cb595e935bea63442abd4634786b04a0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T180000Z
DTEND:20260616T193000Z
SUMMARY:Your Third Third
DESCRIPTION:This session is geared towards those who are 55-plus and wondering what the Third Third of their life is going to be like. &nbsp\;It is based on the book\, “The Third Third of Life: &nbsp\;Preparing for Your Future\," by Walter C Wright\, Jr. &nbsp\;We will be exploring Hope and Dreams for the “third third” as well as considering what a “renewed calling” might be like.&nbsp\;\n\nThe “Third Third” approach uses an open mind to explore the hopes and fears that typically accompany your 55-plus years in such a way that expands your thinking about the meaningfulness of your years beyond retirement. &nbsp\;We will create a vision of each person’s Third Third\, keeping in mind that a lot of the Third Third is about growing inward in a contemplative way and realizing and applying the wisdom accumulated during the first two-thirds of life experience.\n\nTakeaways:\nDefining what the Third Third Means and what occurs during this timeExploring hopes and dreams of what this time of life might beExploring fears and discuss ways in which each person might overcome those fears\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c0d8eafcf26c34fd8bd65b9ecd0a20b1
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/c0d8eafcf26c34fd8bd65b9ecd0a20b1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T193000Z
DTEND:20260616T200000Z
SUMMARY:Afternoon Break
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Hub (Caudell Hall Lobby) and grab a quick drink and snack so you can recharge your batteries!
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:820df861796392fab3a3b0d29c158bad
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/820df861796392fab3a3b0d29c158bad
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T200000Z
DTEND:20260616T213000Z
SUMMARY:Beyond the Ordinary: Elevating Your Creative Identity Through Archetypes
DESCRIPTION:In a world of AI-generated sameness\, your creative identity is what elevates you above the noise. This experiential workshop uses archetypal frameworks—rooted in Jung\, Campbell\, and modern brand psychology—to help you discover and articulate the distinctive character that makes you extraordinarily you. Through visual exploration\, guided reflection\, and structured storytelling\, you'll craft a clear "personality signature" that brings dimension and authenticity to how you show up as an entrepreneur\, educator\, creative professional\, or changemaker. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nYour Archetypal Identity – A clear understanding of the two archetypes that define your creative character\, complete with a simple framework that captures your unique personality beyond generic descriptorsYour Authentic Story – A compelling narrative that articulates who you are at your core\, what drives you\, and the distinctive role you play in others' lives—ready to elevate your pitches\, profiles\, and presentationsYour Elevation Plan – Three concrete\, actionable ways to bring your creative identity to life immediately\, from reimagining your email signature to redesigning your next workshop or pitch deck" &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:afaa504a22455e01af56cece66329c40
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/afaa504a22455e01af56cece66329c40
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T200000Z
DTEND:20260616T213000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate the Invisible: How What We Don’t Say Shapes Creative Leadership
DESCRIPTION:Most leadership and creative breakdowns don’t come from bad ideas—they come from unspoken assumptions\, invisible power dynamics\, and communication habits we don’t notice. This session helps participants elevate the invisible layers of communication so teams can think more creatively\, collaborate more bravely\, and lead more consciously.\n\nTakeaways:\nNotice what’s shaping the conversation before words appearRecognize how creativity rises or falls based on subtle leadership signalsInterrupt default patterns that quietly limit innovation\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e74badece175053e6547655fd759f992
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/e74badece175053e6547655fd759f992
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T200000Z
DTEND:20260616T213000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Through Play: Using LEGO® Serious Play to Unlock Creative Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:This session elevates creative problem solving by transforming play into a strategic invitation—helping participants move from imagination to insight\, and from insight to action. Through LEGO® Serious Play (LSP) and Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, participants experience how embodied thinking\, storytelling\, and structured divergence/convergence elevate both individual creativity and group innovation capacity. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nUse LEGO® Serious Play as a facilitation invitation rather than a standalone methodTranslate metaphorical builds into clear problem statements (HMWs)Rapidly prototype solution landscapes using low-fidelity materials and apply the approach in classrooms\, workshops\, organizations\, or community settings. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:968abb38c77003949d6698bd4db87503
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/968abb38c77003949d6698bd4db87503
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T200000Z
DTEND:20260616T213000Z
SUMMARY:The Creativity Canvas: Mapping Your Creative Ecosystem
DESCRIPTION:This workshop introduces a dynamic visual tool designed to map out your personal creative process. During this 90-minute session\, you’ll explore key enhancers and critical blockers that make up your creative ecosystem. Through hands-on activities\, you’ll design your own creativity canvas\, gaining insights into how to unlock your full potential and drive creative breakthroughs. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nA complete visual framework that maps your unique creative ecosystemA deeper understanding of the key drivers and blockers they face in doing creative workAn action plan for implementing or optimizing a ritual creative practice &nbsp\; &nbsp\;
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b8f0186bf891a18c3163fa62d75165eb
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b8f0186bf891a18c3163fa62d75165eb
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T200000Z
DTEND:20260616T230000Z
SUMMARY:Dinner
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1f09eeb5655a912f50a925ac06c653c6
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/1f09eeb5655a912f50a925ac06c653c6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T210000Z
DTEND:20260617T010000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing: Evening Desk Hours
DESCRIPTION:Have questions? Need some assistance? We have evening desk hours in STAC for just that.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d3e893aceec17bf839d33261f2bb5226
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/d3e893aceec17bf839d33261f2bb5226
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T233000Z
DTEND:20260617T013000Z
SUMMARY:Planetarium Experience
DESCRIPTION:The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State University is a state-of-the-art facility offering immersive educational and entertainment experiences in astronomy and beyond. Located within the Science and Mathematics Complex on campus\, the planetarium features a 35-foot diameter dome and is equipped with advanced projection systems—including a Spitz SciDome 4K digital projector\, a Zeiss ZKP4 opto-mechanical star projector\, an AVI SkyLase laser system\, and a 5.1 surround sound system—it provides audiences with captivating visual and auditory experiences.\n\nThis special CPSI experience is exclusively for registered conference attendees.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Science + Math Complex - Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:804841f49352c111775f49b51ec5eddd
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/804841f49352c111775f49b51ec5eddd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260616T233000Z
DTEND:20260617T013000Z
SUMMARY:Night Flights
DESCRIPTION:Night Flights present the opportunity for CPSI Leaders or Attendees to present new content or personal passions to the CPSI audience. Sessions are coordinated daily and updated daily. \n\nIf you are interested in presenting a Night Flight\, look for a QR code at CPSI to complete a simple online form.
CATEGORIES:NIGHT FLIGHTS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2a16d52b43d44bbedf4a748cb457921d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/2a16d52b43d44bbedf4a748cb457921d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T110000Z
DTEND:20260617T133000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:Start your day at CPSI with some delicious breakfast. &nbsp\;Sit with someone new or some old friends. &nbsp\;It's a great way to connect!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:de9a01d525cf12db03829478aaaec0a4
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/de9a01d525cf12db03829478aaaec0a4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T123000Z
DTEND:20260617T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:If you are new to CPSI\, Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is your fast track to a deliberate creativity process for solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities. You’ll learn the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process\, the research-based gold standard of creativity methods\, and be exposed to the FourSight framework\, which can help you understand how you and your teammates approach challenges.In an incredibly engaging format\, your team of experienced facilitators will use hands-on activities\, real-world examples\, and a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools to give you the skills you need to advance your personal and professional goals.Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is the first of four skills-building courses in Creative Problem Solving. After completing all four CPS courses\, you will deepen your ability to facilitate and train others in the CPS process\, while also becoming eligible to be considered to lead CPS programs at future CPSIs!In this course\, you will:• Recognize and overcome blocks to creativity.• Identify attitudes and behaviors conducive to creative thinking.• Apply core concepts of creative thinking.• Use a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools.• Apply the CPS method to many simulated or real situations.• Consciously be creative when facing problems and opportunities.NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference in order to complete this program. This core track is limited to 45 attendees. You must select Foundations of CPS when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 208\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:34cf6dd1f3bc5b944827e15596fe6bf5
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/34cf6dd1f3bc5b944827e15596fe6bf5
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T123000Z
DTEND:20260617T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: CPS Foundations at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\n\nLevel 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools is a natural stepping stone if you have previously taken Level 1: Foundations of CPS. This fast-paced course allows beginner to intermediate facilitators to go deeper into the CPS process\, adding more facilitation tools to your repertoire.\n\nYou will gain a clear understanding of which tools to use at each stage of the CPS process\, as well as how to modify them to fit your session objectives or add a bit of creative flair. You will have time to practice tools to gain real mastery of them. You will also learn a variety of energizers and fun grouping games to keep your sessions engaging and interactive. Learn through small- and large-group work\, including round-robin sharing and show-and-tell exercises.\n\nIn this course\, you will:\n\n• Explore a variety of divergent and convergent tools for individual and group problem solving.\n• Learn how and where to apply different tools within the CPS process.\n• Practice facilitating tools.\n• Discover how to use tools when you or your team are unable to progress or working in areas of low preference.\n\nNOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference to complete this program and qualify for the credential assessment for CPS Level 2.\nThis core track is limited to 25 attendees. You must select Tools when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).\n\n
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Chase Hall - Room 215\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:4bb1b437b5b2bc4711160e158423a619
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/4bb1b437b5b2bc4711160e158423a619
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T123000Z
DTEND:20260617T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: Foundations of CPS and Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 or 2 at CPSI/FLCC but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process and have experience with CPS tools\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\nLevel 3: Facilitating CPSFacilitation skills are central to the effective use of CPS\, whether in formal meetings or informal brainstorming sessions. This course is designed for those who already know the CPS process in theory and are ready to put it into action as a facilitator. This course uses peer-group practices to prepare participants for working with actual clients. Characteristics of successful facilitation will be identified and practiced\, and you will develop an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development. In this course\, you will:•Review and internalize the CPS process through the lens of the facilitator.•Experience CPS from several points of view – as a facilitator\, as the problem-owner\, and as part of the resource group.•Understand how to facilitate each step of the CPS process.•Receive general facilitation tips that enhance any meeting.•Receive individual and group feedback on facilitation skills.•Explore and develop your facilitation style.
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 234\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fe051c20cdc60c02c778ec4d5cff83b6
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/fe051c20cdc60c02c778ec4d5cff83b6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T123000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:YouthWise
DESCRIPTION:In YouthWise\, kids will explore Creative Problem Solving through fun\, hands-on activities\, "field trips\," and games. They will put their new and enhanced skills to work as a team\, by creating and presenting a solution to a unique challenge.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:YOUTHWISE
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Assembly Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0128847153282e98d477d192027de70c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0128847153282e98d477d192027de70c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T130000Z
DTEND:20260617T163000Z
SUMMARY:Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This Immersion is designed for experienced CPS practitioners ready to deepen their impact in organizations. Day 1\, Tools Off the Beaten Path\, explores underutilized convergent tools to strengthen decision-making and group alignment. Days 2-4\, Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity\, focus on what teams create (product)\, the environments they work in (place)\, and the people and processes that shape collaboration. Through hands-on application and real-world challenges\, participants will learn to diagnose team dynamics\, recognize conditions that support creativity\, and apply CPS as a unifying engine across ways of working. This is a practical\, interactive experience for leading creative work that delivers results. \n\nDays 2 - 4: Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity - Michael Ackerbauer\, PhD\, and Christa Heydt-Hernandez\nEvery organization has a rhythm. Some teams find it and produce work they didn't know was possible. Others grind against each other and call it culture. The difference isn't luck — it's whether leaders can read the signals their teams are already sending and respond with the right move at the right time. This three-day immersion adapts a three-week graduate course into a hands-on practitioner experience. Across three 3.5-hour sessions\, we'll work the creative systems that shape what gets built\, where creativity can breathe\, and how people actually collaborate when the work gets hard. Day 2 opens with the product of creativity: what we're here to make\, how innovation actually happens in organizations\, and why most change efforts stall before they start. Day 3 turns to place: the climate\, culture\, and psychological conditions that either invite creative work or quietly shut it down. Day 4 lands on the person and process: how cognitive preferences\, emotional intelligence\, and creative problem solving become the substrate underneath agile\, design thinking\, and every other framework you're already using. You'll leave able to:\nDiagnose where your team spends its collaborative energy\, and where it doesn'tRecognize the climate signals that predict creative outcomes before they appear in resultsApply Creative Problem Solving as the integrative engine beneath your existing ways of workingBring a challenge from your own context. We'll work it together.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:889a984a6d36c9f4b77ceb195a5185dc
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/889a984a6d36c9f4b77ceb195a5185dc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T130000Z
DTEND:20260617T163000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Your Facilitation Toolbox: Playful Tools and Real-World Practice
DESCRIPTION:Step into a high-energy\, hands-on series designed to expand both your creative skillset and your facilitation toolbox. Through playful methods and real-time practice\, participants will build practical tools while strengthening their ability to guide groups with confidence\, presence\, and flow. Experience what it means to learn by doing as you explore approaches that spark collaboration\, deepen thinking\, and elevate group outcomes.\n\nDay 3 (Wed): Master the Inside Moves of CPS Facilitation&nbsp\;\nDr. Roger Firestien\nYou know the CPS process. But here’s the real question…Can you move through it with ease\, confidence\, and flow? Too often\, facilitation feels harder than it should. Transitions get clunky. Energy drops. You find yourself working too hard—before\, during\, and after the session. It doesn’t have to be that way. In this highly interactive workshop\, you’ll learn the inside moves that experienced facilitators use to make CPS sessions feel natural\, focused\, and powerful. These are the subtle shifts—the ones that don’t always show up in the model—but make all the difference in real time. We’ll work on your real challenges. You’ll practice in the moment. And you’ll leave with approaches you can use immediately. Whether you’re just getting started or have years of experience\, this session will help you step into a new level of facilitation—one where you’re more relaxed\, more precise\, and far more effective. \n\n\nIn this workshop\, you will:\n\nDraw on Roger Firestien’s 48+ years of real-world CPS facilitation experience across hundreds of settings Learn how to move smoothly and confidently from one stage to the nextDiscover how to talk less—and accomplish morePractice practical\, all-purpose CPS techniques that work again and againGet free access to 20 step-by-step facilitation videosGet 20 ready-to-use CPS worksheets for your professional work. \nIf you want your sessions to flow…\nIf you want better results with less strain…\nIf you want to truly master the art of facilitation…\nThis session will show you how. \n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:115284d172d0dad571b4c9eae4600938
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/115284d172d0dad571b4c9eae4600938
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T130000Z
DTEND:20260617T163000Z
SUMMARY:Head\, Heart\, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This week of programming explores the shared foundation of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, coaching skills\, and affective skills: each shaping how people think\, connect\, and create change. You’ll begin the week with&nbsp\;A Creative Coach’s Toolbox\,&nbsp\;building practical coaching tools that bring the CPS process to life in real conversations. The second half of the week focuses on&nbsp\;The Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS\, where you'll&nbsp\;deepen your awareness of the emotional and mental conditions that influence every stage of thinking. Together\, these elements reveal a powerful truth: effective creativity and innovation isn’t just about process\, but about how we show up within it. By the end of the week\, you’ll be equipped to guide both the path of ideas and the human experience that fuels them.\n\n&nbsp\;\nPart 2 (Wednesday - Thursday):&nbsp\;\nThe Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS - Jessica Andrews-Wilson and Kim Macuare\nWhether you’re a pro at using the Creative Problem Solving process or this is the first time you’re hearing of it\, this session will give you a chance to explore some of the CPS skills with a new lens! Put on your rose-colored glasses\, tap into your biggest dreams\, and join us to explore some of the emotions that influence our thinking and how that shows up as we clarify\, ideate\, develop\, and implement!\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1341bf76f0daa48c915e0f2507ae017a
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/1341bf76f0daa48c915e0f2507ae017a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T130000Z
DTEND:20260617T163000Z
SUMMARY:Polarities in Practice
DESCRIPTION:This immersive week explores the dynamic power of polarities as a catalyst for creativity\, collaboration\, and innovation. We begin with Genius Teams: Polarities in Practice\, a deep dive into polarities in practice\, building a shared foundation and observing live facilitation to see how teams navigate real-time tensions and unlock high performance. As the week unfolds\, participants will sharpen their ability to recognize and work with these dynamics in their own contexts. We close with Assumption: Friend AND Foe\, using playful\, perspective-shifting approaches to challenge thinking and expand what’s possible\, using polarity thinking and humor for insight and exploration. \n\nPart 1 (Monday - Wednesday): &nbsp\;Genius Teams - Lindsay Burr\nIt’s one thing to understand a model. It’s another thing to watch it used in real time. This session offers both. Grounded in polarity thinking\, participants will learn the Genius Team Model (9 stages of team development with a key polarity or “tension” in each stage) for navigating the ongoing tensions that create a high-performing team. This session bridges the gap between understanding a model and watching it unfold live. Designed for facilitators with some familiarity with polarities.\n\nThrough Orientation (Day 1)\, Live Practice (Day 2)\, and Debrief/Translation (Day 3)\, participants will:\nUnderstand the Genius Team ModelRecognize real-time signals of poorly leveraged stagesApply practical strategies drawn from live facilitation\nDAY 3&nbsp\;provides the opportunity to finish action steps with the client from Day 2\, wrapping with debriefing and translation to practice\, and closure of Part 1.\n\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2ee9e7632f9206b960da26ef473fef28
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/2ee9e7632f9206b960da26ef473fef28
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T130000Z
DTEND:20260617T163000Z
SUMMARY:Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
DESCRIPTION:In this immersion\, you’ll apply the CPS process to the art of facilitation design to create experiences that truly deliver. We’ll begin by unpacking the factors that influence great design\, including timing\, flow\, and session dynamics\, so you can design with clarity and intention. You’ll also rethink how to select tools and activities.\nThe Lab comes to life as we move beyond choosing from existing tools to confidently creating what’s needed in the moment. Through rapid prototyping\, you’ll co-create new activities and build a repeatable method for inventing\, adapting\, and refining tools on the fly.\nIdeal for facilitators and trainers\, this is a hands-on\, design-intensive experience with meaningful\, ready-to-use outcomes.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:670245b9268e318985de8ebf2008d575
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/670245b9268e318985de8ebf2008d575
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T140000Z
DTEND:20260617T200000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
DESCRIPTION:Stop by our pop-up bookstore and explore a curated collection of titles published by our very own CEF Press.\nEveryone’s invited—leaders\, attendees\, and curious minds alike! Take a moment during your break to browse\, grab a snack\, and maybe even spark a conversation with a fellow creative thinker. There’s something for everyone!\n\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:580324b1b8561b56ea2c815cb333fffa
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/580324b1b8561b56ea2c815cb333fffa
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T150000Z
DTEND:20260617T180000Z
SUMMARY:Lunch
DESCRIPTION:12:00-1:00 Core CPS Track and YouthWise\n12:30-1:30 Immersion Track\n\nJoin everyone at the Dining Hall for an array of meal options. Healthy\, fun\, and specialty diet options are available. Join a table of people you have not met yet and find your next best friend!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c17921c6616cdb3841147f0797942dd3
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/c17921c6616cdb3841147f0797942dd3
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T173000Z
DTEND:20260617T180000Z
SUMMARY:Free Time
DESCRIPTION:Every afternoon\, treat yourself to "you time" after lunch. Visit the bookstore in Caudell Hall\, go for a walk outside\, or go back to your room and decompress. How you use this mini midday break is up to you.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f874e3e9ceb28e308ef87321ee7d612f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/f874e3e9ceb28e308ef87321ee7d612f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T180000Z
DTEND:20260617T193000Z
SUMMARY:How Might I Get Curious? Creative Questions for Deep-Diving Conversations
DESCRIPTION:The same creative question starters that ignite brainstorming can also be infused into conversations of discovery\, from podcast-style interviews to personal conversations. We'll show you how to strategically and seamlessly transform questions to dive deeper and discover more. Participants will be able to apply these journalist-like skills to the data gathering portions of the CPS process and to everyday conversations in their professional and personal lives.\n\nThree Key Takeaways:Practicing how to elevate questions by integrating starters such as "How might..." and "In what ways might..." in a manner that feels natural and conversational.Recognizing situations in which these applied curiosity techniques will be appropriate and valuable.Utilizing non-verbal techniques to take conversations deeper. To this end\, participants will also receive a copy (hard copy or digital) of The Conversation Handbook\, which was developed by the co-presenters: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ConversationHandbook#page/1
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b7ad2e0a22cffaa284cdac030e9739dc
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/b7ad2e0a22cffaa284cdac030e9739dc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T180000Z
DTEND:20260617T193000Z
SUMMARY:Disaster Quick Quests: Elevate Creativity for Social Impact
DESCRIPTION:How can we turn fear of disaster into fuel for community resilience? Join this high-energy "Design Studio" to use Creative Problem Solving (CPS) to catalyze social impact. In this hands-on session\, you will work in a small team to ideate and develop a "Quick Quest" — a 5-10 minute game-based activity — to help individuals and communities prepare to face a wildfire\, flood\, or other disaster. You’ll leave with a tangible game concept\, a behind-the-scenes look at designing for social impact\, and a playful yet powerful tool for rapid collaborative problem-solving. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nRapid CPS Iteration: Experience a ""lightning-fast"" application of the CPS stages to move from problem description to playable prototype in under 90 minutes.Game Design for Impact: Embrace the concept of ""Serious Games"" and see how play can create a safe space for addressing sensitive and high-stakes issues.The ""Serious Creativity"" Mindset: Discover how to maintain a bias toward results while balancing divergent exploration with convergent decision-making.\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:255bd7aa65cef20237c1df817228de6b
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/255bd7aa65cef20237c1df817228de6b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T180000Z
DTEND:20260617T193000Z
SUMMARY:Kaleidoscope of You - Dream\, Share\, Incubate\, Create
DESCRIPTION:Kaleidoscope of YOU offers an intimate yet expansive invitation to pause\, play\, and reawaken child-like curiosity. You will engage in guided daydreaming\, visible thinking\, writing\, and creative mark-making to explore your past\, present\, and future creative selves. The journey continues in a “Living Gallery Walk.” This innovative workshop also invites others in the CPSI community to contribute to the collective creativity of the Kaleidoscope of YOU.\n\nTakeaways:\nReframe your creative identity through reflection and playful exploration.Reconnect with early experiences of creativity\, joy\, and imagination.Integrate past\, present\, and future creative selves into your practice.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0df7da12e14098838605fe165f32e362
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/0df7da12e14098838605fe165f32e362
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T180000Z
DTEND:20260617T193000Z
SUMMARY:Language of Renewal™: Using Narrative Intelligence to Expand Creative Capacity
DESCRIPTION:Narrative is one of the most under-used tools in applied creativity. This workshop introduces Language of Renewal™\, a framework that helps participants reframe complexity and ambiguity through metaphor\, story structure\, and reflective creativity practices. Through hands-on exercises\, participants learn how narration can discover insight\, reduce cognitive rigidity\, and strengthen creative problem-solving. The session blends research and experiential learning to help educators\, leaders\, and practitioners integrate narrative-based creativity into their work. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nHow to use metaphor\, reframing\, and story-mapping to enhance creative problem-solving.Practical methods for helping students\, teams\, or clients navigate ambiguity by reshaping the “story” of a challenge.A replicable framework (Language of Renewal™) for integrating narrative intelligence into teaching\, leadership\, and innovation.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7d67eb60938885cd7e296acaf95ff58d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7d67eb60938885cd7e296acaf95ff58d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T180000Z
DTEND:20260617T193000Z
SUMMARY:Possibility Books for Accessing Embodied Wisdom Before Logic
DESCRIPTION:Before we analyze\, we sense. &nbsp\;Before we articulate\, we feel. &nbsp\;Before we problem-solve with logic\, we can access embodied wisdom. Come experience Possibility Books\, a creative practice that activates and helps us access the inner wisdom living within each of us. &nbsp\;We’ll play with mark-making coupled with dialogue to transform these insights into actionable intuition that can be used for more logical creative problem-solving processes\, which you can take with you to your own professional and personal lives. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nAn elevated understanding of how embodied wisdom generates insightThe transformation of insight to actionable creative ideas&nbsp\;A method for redesigning how you begin the creative process &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:702ce45a4aa2d3e7d0ea6766e63601d5
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/702ce45a4aa2d3e7d0ea6766e63601d5
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T193000Z
DTEND:20260617T200000Z
SUMMARY:Afternoon Break
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Hub (Caudell Hall Lobby) and grab a quick drink and snack so you can recharge your batteries!
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c963b97a5d69f69cfa6d5887be128d8a
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/c963b97a5d69f69cfa6d5887be128d8a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:A Historical Perspective of Divergence and Convergence
DESCRIPTION:Creative Problem Solving (CPS) is a process with many hidden gifts and coping mechanisms to fact today's challenges. This experiential and interactive session will explore the evolution\, revolution and application of Divergence and Convergence in CPS in every aspect of our daily lives\, if we are willing to take the plunge. We will take a deep dive in the intricacies of divergence and convergence and leave with a self-constructed personal plan for implementation. Come open --minded\, open-hearted and thirsty for the outcomes. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;&nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nTaking this deep dive into the history of divergence and convergence helps us understand its potential and power in all aspects of our lives.Exploring brain theory and emotional intelligence\, as they relate to divergence and convergence\, facilitates one's pathway to walking into ourselves with tools and skill sets to manage ever-increasing challenges today.&nbsp\;Understanding the importance of self-exploration with this dynamic thinking duo promotes investment\, practice\, and commitment for success. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;&nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f07c66b7d11debf48cd493dcf84fd8c5
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/f07c66b7d11debf48cd493dcf84fd8c5
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:Be an Illuminator: Discover Ways to Bring Out the Best in Others
DESCRIPTION:Illuminators shine a light on others. They make people and their ideas come alive.&nbsp\;\nWith their distinct blend of skills\, they excel as facilitators and relationship builders.\n\nIlluminators make others feel seen\, heard\, and appreciated. Their curiosity invites richer stories and deeper insights. They see and celebrate others’ strengths.\n\nTakeaways:\nIn this session\, you’ll work with a partner to cultivate illuminator skills and instincts.\nYou’ll see what distinguishes an illuminator from a diminisher and learn a variety of illuminator “moves”:\n\nGenuine Curiosity: Asking surprisingly simple questions that reveal richer storiesActive Listening: Using your eyes and body (and silence) to make others feel heardCelebration of Strengths: Expressing your partner’s unique qualities to create a deeper connection\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:976f40078dbb5936a808c59cc3aa4e2d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/976f40078dbb5936a808c59cc3aa4e2d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:Curiosity Is the New Mastery: Elevating Creative Confidence with Improv\, Design Thinking\, and AI
DESCRIPTION:This 90‑minute\, highly interactive workshop invites CPSI participants to “elevate” their practice by shifting from mastery-as-endpoint to curiosity-as-engine\, using improv\, design thinking\, and AI as complementary tools. Drawing on research with 94 community college students\, Betsy Tuma will show how short\, guided improv activities significantly elevated participants’ creative self-concept and individual idea generation\, then connect those findings to her “Curiosity Over Mastery” framework for creative and critical thinking in the age of AI. AI will be treated not as an answer machine but as a live curiosity partner—something to interrogate\, remix\, and “yes–and” in service of more original\, learner‑driven ideas. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nCuriosity\, not correctness\, is the real engine of elevated creative problem solving in an AI‑saturated world.Short\, structured improv activities measurably boost creative confidence and idea fluency\, making groups braver and more generative.AI can be designed into sessions as a curiosity partner—something to interrogate\, remix\, and “yes–and”—rather than a shortcut to the next right answer. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:65c0bfa110c3c1209380c09032aece52
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/65c0bfa110c3c1209380c09032aece52
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Emerging Potential: Using CPS & Innovation Sprints to Build Creative Readiness
DESCRIPTION:Elevate Emerging Potential: Using CPS & Innovation Sprints to Build Creative Readiness &nbsp\; &nbsp\;Many emerging professionals—and the educators\, mentors\, and managers who support them—struggle to name themselves as creative problem solvers. This session explores how Innovation Sprints\, paired with Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, build creative confidence\, agency\, and adaptability across varied age groups and experience levels. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that elevate voice\, encourage collaborative problem solving\, and translate across educational\, professional\, and community settings. Attendees will leave with practical tools to help learners and early-career professionals navigate ambiguity\, contribute meaningfully\, and thrive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nStrategies for elevating creative confidence and self-efficacy in young and emerging professionals through fast-cycle innovation experiences.Adaptable CPS tools that help early-career individuals frame challenges\, explore options\, and act boldly.Sprint-based methods educators and youth leaders can employ in classrooms\, leadership programs\, and internships.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:427af56e396454d99b1eb72cf68e7e05
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/427af56e396454d99b1eb72cf68e7e05
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T213000Z
SUMMARY:How to Create a Personal AI Assistant for Creative Collaboration
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, participants will learn to create their own personal AI assistant by exploring and applying easy-to-use AI tools in ChatGPT. Attendees will learn to enhance their skills in creative problem solving\, productivity\, and innovation with the help of their personalized AI assistant. We’ll cover the fundamentals of prompt design for creating customized projects for real-world applications. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies to build AI tools that support their unique role in the workplace. They will use their AI assistant to apply the FourSight™ Collaboration model and CPS to amplify their creative thinking and collaboration skills. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;&nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nLearn how to use ChatGPT to build a personalized AI assistant that supports your unique role\, workflow\, and creative challenges.&nbsp\;Gain practical strategies to leverage AI as a thought partner—enhancing your creative problem-solving\, decision-making\, and overall productivity.Use their new AI assistant to apply the FourSight™ Creative Mind Set Collaboration model and CPS to amplify their creative thinking and collaboration skills.&nbsp\;\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a08f69d6c70f36f7090794378b2c2732
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a08f69d6c70f36f7090794378b2c2732
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T200000Z
DTEND:20260617T230000Z
SUMMARY:Celebration Dinner
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:31d78555d623548fa9c11f16dd1a07b4
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/31d78555d623548fa9c11f16dd1a07b4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T210000Z
DTEND:20260618T010000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing: Evening Desk Hours
DESCRIPTION:Have questions? Need some assistance? We have evening desk hours in STAC for just that.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:82bec33dbc30ca154c937c938ffa127a
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/82bec33dbc30ca154c937c938ffa127a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260617T233000Z
DTEND:20260618T013000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Rewind PUB Night
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:57f9f59f1edce79a6a6799cef787fd5e
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/57f9f59f1edce79a6a6799cef787fd5e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T110000Z
DTEND:20260618T133000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:Start your day at CPSI with some delicious breakfast. &nbsp\;Sit with someone new or some old friends. &nbsp\;It's a great way to connect!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2686e230bb78f793d973b3f0d30db646
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/2686e230bb78f793d973b3f0d30db646
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T113000Z
DTEND:20260619T010000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing Check-Out
DESCRIPTION:Quick and easy check-out process to get you to your sessions and on with your day.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:cb84e96aeb7bb2e16d35511c82f5bab8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/cb84e96aeb7bb2e16d35511c82f5bab8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T123000Z
DTEND:20260618T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 1: Foundations of Creative Problem Solving
DESCRIPTION:If you are new to CPSI\, Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is your fast track to a deliberate creativity process for solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities. You’ll learn the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Process\, the research-based gold standard of creativity methods\, and be exposed to the FourSight framework\, which can help you understand how you and your teammates approach challenges.In an incredibly engaging format\, your team of experienced facilitators will use hands-on activities\, real-world examples\, and a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools to give you the skills you need to advance your personal and professional goals.Foundations of Creative Problem Solving is the first of four skills-building courses in Creative Problem Solving. After completing all four CPS courses\, you will deepen your ability to facilitate and train others in the CPS process\, while also becoming eligible to be considered to lead CPS programs at future CPSIs!In this course\, you will:• Recognize and overcome blocks to creativity.• Identify attitudes and behaviors conducive to creative thinking.• Apply core concepts of creative thinking.• Use a variety of divergent and convergent thinking tools.• Apply the CPS method to many simulated or real situations.• Consciously be creative when facing problems and opportunities.NOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference in order to complete this program. This core track is limited to 45 attendees. You must select Foundations of CPS when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 208\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bb680d15809601897503ce74796a64e2
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/bb680d15809601897503ce74796a64e2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T123000Z
DTEND:20260618T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: CPS Foundations at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\n\nLevel 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools is a natural stepping stone if you have previously taken Level 1: Foundations of CPS. This fast-paced course allows beginner to intermediate facilitators to go deeper into the CPS process\, adding more facilitation tools to your repertoire.\n\nYou will gain a clear understanding of which tools to use at each stage of the CPS process\, as well as how to modify them to fit your session objectives or add a bit of creative flair. You will have time to practice tools to gain real mastery of them. You will also learn a variety of energizers and fun grouping games to keep your sessions engaging and interactive. Learn through small- and large-group work\, including round-robin sharing and show-and-tell exercises.\n\nIn this course\, you will:\n\n• Explore a variety of divergent and convergent tools for individual and group problem solving.\n• Learn how and where to apply different tools within the CPS process.\n• Practice facilitating tools.\n• Discover how to use tools when you or your team are unable to progress or working in areas of low preference.\n\nNOTE: You must attend your Core CPS Course all four mornings of the conference to complete this program and qualify for the credential assessment for CPS Level 2.\nThis core track is limited to 25 attendees. You must select Tools when registering for CPSI to attend this track (selecting it here in Sched does not qualify as reserved spot).\n\n
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Chase Hall - Room 215\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:4888951da55fbb3ff0c2457321bd8afa
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/4888951da55fbb3ff0c2457321bd8afa
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T123000Z
DTEND:20260618T160000Z
SUMMARY:CPS Level 3: Creative Problem Solving Facilitation Techniques
DESCRIPTION:*PREREQUISITE: Level 1: Foundations of CPS and Level 2: Creative Problem Solving Tools at previous CPSI or FLCC. If you did not take Level 1 or 2 at CPSI/FLCC but have a solid understanding of the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process and have experience with CPS tools\, you must connect with CPSI Program Staff before being enrolled.\nLevel 3: Facilitating CPSFacilitation skills are central to the effective use of CPS\, whether in formal meetings or informal brainstorming sessions. This course is designed for those who already know the CPS process in theory and are ready to put it into action as a facilitator. This course uses peer-group practices to prepare participants for working with actual clients. Characteristics of successful facilitation will be identified and practiced\, and you will develop an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development. In this course\, you will:•Review and internalize the CPS process through the lens of the facilitator.•Experience CPS from several points of view – as a facilitator\, as the problem-owner\, and as part of the resource group.•Understand how to facilitate each step of the CPS process.•Receive general facilitation tips that enhance any meeting.•Receive individual and group feedback on facilitation skills.•Explore and develop your facilitation style.
CATEGORIES:CORE CPS TRACK
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Room 234\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:307dc28a5c1023051cb1ba51bfae4f87
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/307dc28a5c1023051cb1ba51bfae4f87
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T123000Z
DTEND:20260618T193000Z
SUMMARY:YouthWise
DESCRIPTION:In YouthWise\, kids will explore Creative Problem Solving through fun\, hands-on activities\, "field trips\," and games. They will put their new and enhanced skills to work as a team\, by creating and presenting a solution to a unique challenge.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:YOUTHWISE
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union -  Assembly Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2402453d74ba55b1807400c3bd589724
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/2402453d74ba55b1807400c3bd589724
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T130000Z
DTEND:20260618T163000Z
SUMMARY:Advanced CPS Tools and Organizational Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This Immersion is designed for experienced CPS practitioners ready to deepen their impact in organizations. Day 1\, Tools Off the Beaten Path\, explores underutilized convergent tools to strengthen decision-making and group alignment. Days 2-4\, Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity\, focus on what teams create (product)\, the environments they work in (place)\, and the people and processes that shape collaboration. Through hands-on application and real-world challenges\, participants will learn to diagnose team dynamics\, recognize conditions that support creativity\, and apply CPS as a unifying engine across ways of working. This is a practical\, interactive experience for leading creative work that delivers results. \n\nDays 2 - 4: Leading Change with Agility\, Versatility\, and Creativity - Michael Ackerbauer\, PhD\, and Christa Heydt-Hernandez\nEvery organization has a rhythm. Some teams find it and produce work they didn't know was possible. Others grind against each other and call it culture. The difference isn't luck — it's whether leaders can read the signals their teams are already sending and respond with the right move at the right time. This three-day immersion adapts a three-week graduate course into a hands-on practitioner experience. Across three 3.5-hour sessions\, we'll work the creative systems that shape what gets built\, where creativity can breathe\, and how people actually collaborate when the work gets hard. Day 2 opens with the product of creativity: what we're here to make\, how innovation actually happens in organizations\, and why most change efforts stall before they start. Day 3 turns to place: the climate\, culture\, and psychological conditions that either invite creative work or quietly shut it down. Day 4 lands on the person and process: how cognitive preferences\, emotional intelligence\, and creative problem solving become the substrate underneath agile\, design thinking\, and every other framework you're already using. You'll leave able to:\nDiagnose where your team spends its collaborative energy\, and where it doesn'tRecognize the climate signals that predict creative outcomes before they appear in resultsApply Creative Problem Solving as the integrative engine beneath your existing ways of working\nBring a challenge from your own context. We'll work it together.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Butler Library - Alex F. Osborn Brainstorming Center\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2ec9e68c1f437fe69f84c28ce658ee9d
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/2ec9e68c1f437fe69f84c28ce658ee9d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T130000Z
DTEND:20260618T163000Z
SUMMARY:Elevate Your Facilitation Toolbox: Playful Tools and Real-World Practice
DESCRIPTION:Step into a high-energy\, hands-on series designed to expand both your creative skillset and your facilitation toolbox. Through playful methods and real-time practice\, participants will build practical tools while strengthening their ability to guide groups with confidence\, presence\, and flow. Experience what it means to learn by doing as you explore approaches that spark collaboration\, deepen thinking\, and elevate group outcomes.\n Day 4 (Thur): Play\, Connect\, Create: Improv-Inspired Tools in Action\nBring energy\, spontaneity\, and connection into your creative facilitation and training. This experiential\, interactive session explores how applied improvisation can be leveraged within creativity-based workshops\, trainings\, and group sessions to strengthen collaboration\, trust\, communication\, and creative thinking. Improvisation is built on principles such as listening\, accepting offers\, co-creating\, redefining risk and failure\, and building on ideas through “yes\, and.” These same principles are at the core of deliberate creative problem-solving. Through hands-on activities and shared experiences\, participants will discover how improvisation techniques can help groups clarify situations\, generate fresh ideas and connections\, develop and refine concepts\, and prepare teams for implementation.\n\nParticipants will actively play\, explore\, take risks\, support one another\, and experience how improv-based methods can create more engaged\, open\, and collaborative group dynamics. The session emphasizes practical application\, helping facilitators understand not only how to use improvisation activities but also when and why to integrate them into facilitation and training environments.\n\nParticipants will:\nAcquire a selection of improvisation activities that can be adapted and applied with groups\, teams\, trainings\, and workshops Learn how to use the principle of “yes\, and” to build trust\, encourage creative collaboration\, and strengthen group interaction Explore how and when to integrate improvisation techniques into creative sessions to support idea generation\, development\, team connection\, and implementation readiness \n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:954081086d2f6f022a5b405696b8495c
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/954081086d2f6f022a5b405696b8495c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T130000Z
DTEND:20260618T163000Z
SUMMARY:Head\, Heart\, and How: The Practice of Creative Change
DESCRIPTION:This week of programming explores the shared foundation of Creative Problem Solving (CPS)\, coaching skills\, and affective skills: each shaping how people think\, connect\, and create change. You’ll begin the week with&nbsp\;A Creative Coach’s Toolbox\,&nbsp\;building practical coaching tools that bring the CPS process to life in real conversations. The second half of the week focuses on&nbsp\;The Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS\, where you'll&nbsp\;deepen your awareness of the emotional and mental conditions that influence every stage of thinking. Together\, these elements reveal a powerful truth: effective creativity and innovation isn’t just about process\, but about how we show up within it. By the end of the week\, you’ll be equipped to guide both the path of ideas and the human experience that fuels them.\n&nbsp\;\nPart 2 (Wednesday - Thursday):&nbsp\;\nThe Head and Heart of Innovation: Affective Skills of CPS - Jessica Andrews-Wilson and Kim Macuare\nWhether you’re a pro at using the Creative Problem Solving process or this is the first time you’re hearing of it\, this session will give you a chance to explore some of the CPS skills with a new lens! Put on your rose-colored glasses\, tap into your biggest dreams\, and join us to explore some of the emotions that influence our thinking and how that shows up as we clarify\, ideate\, develop\, and implement!\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fe01a0606ead6ed1eb7f68b53aadf693
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/fe01a0606ead6ed1eb7f68b53aadf693
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T130000Z
DTEND:20260618T163000Z
SUMMARY:Polarities in Practice
DESCRIPTION:This immersive week explores the dynamic power of polarities as a catalyst for creativity\, collaboration\, and innovation. We begin with Genius Teams: Polarities in Practice\, a deep dive into polarities in practice\, building a shared foundation and observing live facilitation to see how teams navigate real-time tensions and unlock high performance. As the week unfolds\, participants will sharpen their ability to recognize and work with these dynamics in their own contexts. We close with Assumption: Friend AND Foe\, using playful\, perspective-shifting approaches to challenge thinking and expand what’s possible\, using polarity thinking and humor for insight and exploration. \n\nPart 2 (Thursday):&nbsp\; Assumption: Friend AND Foe - Liz Monroe Cook and Beth Slazak\nThis session explores how assumptions shape the way we define problems and influence what we see as possible. In Creative Problem Solving\, assumptions can be helpful because they allow us to move quickly and draw on experience\, but they can also limit thinking and reinforce blind spots. Using Polarity Thinking and humor\, participants will learn how to surface and question assumptions\, reframe false either/or thinking\, and open up more flexible\, creative possibilities. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for using “both/and” thinking and light\, intentional humor to support deeper and more innovative problem solving. \n\nTakeaways:Recognize hidden assumptions that shape how they define problems and make decisions.&nbsp\;Differentiate between helpful and limiting assumptions in creative problem solving.&nbsp\;Practice with play and whole picture thinking to enhance your creative problem solving experience. \n\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:388670bc51f821ece3591678e9e8416e
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/388670bc51f821ece3591678e9e8416e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T130000Z
DTEND:20260618T163000Z
SUMMARY:Session Lab: Rapid Prototyping to Design Your Own Tools
DESCRIPTION:In this immersion\, you’ll apply the CPS process to the art of facilitation design to create experiences that truly deliver. We’ll begin by unpacking the factors that influence great design\, including timing\, flow\, and session dynamics\, so you can design with clarity and intention. You’ll also rethink how to select tools and activities.\nThe Lab comes to life as we move beyond choosing from existing tools to confidently creating what’s needed in the moment. Through rapid prototyping\, you’ll co-create new activities and build a repeatable method for inventing\, adapting\, and refining tools on the fly.\nIdeal for facilitators and trainers\, this is a hands-on\, design-intensive experience with meaningful\, ready-to-use outcomes.\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:IMMERSION TRACK
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1f605343d3f1715a3a15d4021b457f4b
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/1f605343d3f1715a3a15d4021b457f4b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T140000Z
DTEND:20260618T180000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Pop-Up Bookstore
DESCRIPTION:Stop by our pop-up bookstore and explore a curated collection of titles published by our very own CEF Press.\nEveryone’s invited—leaders\, attendees\, and curious minds alike! Take a moment during your break to browse\, grab a snack\, and maybe even spark a conversation with a fellow creative thinker. There’s something for everyone!\n\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d6850068f32607e3165f78907931e5c2
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/d6850068f32607e3165f78907931e5c2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T150000Z
DTEND:20260618T180000Z
SUMMARY:Lunch
DESCRIPTION:12:00-1:00 Core CPS Track and YouthWise\n12:30-1:30 Immersion Track\n\nJoin everyone at the Dining Hall for an array of meal options. Healthy\, fun\, and specialty diet options are available. Join a table of people you have not met yet and find your next best friend!
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Bengal Kitchen\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:92ec56c0bc9bdb1b3ebe91551a423bcc
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/92ec56c0bc9bdb1b3ebe91551a423bcc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T173000Z
DTEND:20260618T180000Z
SUMMARY:Free Time
DESCRIPTION:Every afternoon\, treat yourself to "you time" after lunch. Visit the bookstore in Caudell Hall\, go for a walk outside\, or go back to your room and decompress. How you use this mini midday break is up to you.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:81f6e772478de22214c1cf0621865aa2
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/81f6e772478de22214c1cf0621865aa2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T180000Z
DTEND:20260618T193000Z
SUMMARY:Charting Your Path Without a Map: Using Deliberate Creativity to Anticipate\, Adapt\, and Move Forward
DESCRIPTION:Charting Your Path Without a Map invites participants to explore how deliberate creativity can support forward movement when certainty is unavailable and conditions continue to change. Building on the Osborn–Parnes tradition\, this live session frames creative problem solving as a shared foundation for anticipating change\, adapting with intention\, and making progress without waiting for perfect clarity. Designed for both emerging and experienced practitioners\, the session elevates how deliberate creativity is understood\, taught and practiced-strengthening its relevance and impact in an uncertain future.\n\nTakeaways\nPosition deliberate creativity\, grounded in the Osborn–Parnes tradition\, as a shared foundation for anticipating change\, adapting with intention\, and charting purposeful paths forward in uncertain environments.Interpret signals that indicate when to persist and when to pivot\, using progress\, iteration\, and learning as feedback to guide creative action rather than waiting for certainty.Translate key insights from the session into one elevated reframing or teaching move that strengthens how deliberate creativity is practiced\, facilitated\, or introduced to others.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:852fcb8df11b6b483008f68b3926d273
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/852fcb8df11b6b483008f68b3926d273
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T180000Z
DTEND:20260618T193000Z
SUMMARY:Wayfinding in Action: Tools & Moves for Dynamic Facilitation
DESCRIPTION:All aboard! Step into an interactive\, fast-paced session designed to bring your facilitation skills to life.\n\nIn this hands-on experience\, you’ll take a quick journey through the Wayfinding Method—a simple framework for guiding groups from intention to insight—before diving into the real fun: practical tools and facilitation moves you can use right away.\n\nAlong the way\, you’ll explore your own “traveler” style as a facilitator and experiment with techniques that spark participation\, balance voices\, and keep groups engaged and energized. Expect to try things out\, reflect in real time\, and leave with ideas you can immediately apply in meetings\, workshops\, and collaborative settings.\n\nWhether you’re new to facilitation or looking to refresh your approach\, this session will equip you with the confidence\, creativity\, and tools to make every journey more dynamic.\n\nAt the end of this session\, you’ll leave with:\nA fresh way to think about facilitation as a dynamic\, guided journeyReady-to-use techniques to energize conversations\, involve participants\, and keep groups moving forwardNew insight into how you show up as a facilitator—and how to stretch your range in the moment\n\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7da61d66f48ed536c775bec1ebe01370
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/7da61d66f48ed536c775bec1ebe01370
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T180000Z
DTEND:20260618T193000Z
SUMMARY:What’s Stopping You?
DESCRIPTION:Do you suffer from an unrequited creativity\, a particular creative itch you haven’t—for reasons you can’t identify—been able to scratch? In this session\, we’ll look at why you might resist doing the creative work you’re called to do\, and how to jumpstart and sustain it. First\, we’ll identify your creative blocks\, drawing on Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art\, Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey’s Immunity to Change\, and using the CPS tool “Why? What’s Stopping You?” Then\, we’ll introduce several brain- and behavior-based solutions\, including James Clear’s Atomic Habits\, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way\, Paul’s “Creating Time” framework\, and Haley’s new research on how the neuroscience of focus and attention affects creativity. At the session’s end\, you’ll have a roadmap of your own design that you can use to understand your creative drivers that you can use for this project and future ones. &nbsp\; &nbsp\;\n\nTakeaways\nIdentify why you might resist doing something that you (might) truly wish to do.Review relevant research that shows what might help you overcome resistance.Make a personalized plan for how to get started and keep going on your project.\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT WORKSHOPS
LOCATION:Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a4a485eb1085f0a60cfb30af214faef8
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/a4a485eb1085f0a60cfb30af214faef8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T193000Z
DTEND:20260618T200000Z
SUMMARY:Afternoon Break
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Hub (Caudell Hall Lobby) and grab a quick drink and snack so you can recharge your batteries!
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Caudell Hall - Lobby\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:ccb9dae18b574fc5101f5c3fa834ca7f
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/ccb9dae18b574fc5101f5c3fa834ca7f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T200000Z
DTEND:20260618T213000Z
SUMMARY:CPSI Conference Closing
DESCRIPTION:All good things must come to an end—but at CPSI\, the Closing Celebration is just the beginning of what’s next. Join us as we reflect on our shared experience\, explore ways to stay connected\, and discover how to keep stretching\, growing\, and creating beyond the conference.
CATEGORIES:CPSI MAGIC
LOCATION:Ciminelli Recital Hall\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1f4a5b54589fcd4991c4a1ecc3856436
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/1f4a5b54589fcd4991c4a1ecc3856436
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260618T200000Z
DTEND:20260618T230000Z
SUMMARY:Closing Dinner
DESCRIPTION:Enjoy our farewell dinner at CPSI 2026.\n\n \n
CATEGORIES:MEALS
LOCATION:Campbell Student Union - Fireside Lounge\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:07bfbc006a82e682c80932dad7bab416
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/07bfbc006a82e682c80932dad7bab416
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T224910Z
DTSTART:20260619T113000Z
DTEND:20260619T170000Z
SUMMARY:On-Campus Housing Check-Out
DESCRIPTION:Quick and easy check-out process to get you to your sessions and on with your day.
CATEGORIES:
LOCATION:STAC - Student Apartment Complex\, Buffalo State University\, Buffalo\, NY\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:51c694186aed6c164e5886389b2a1d34
URL:http://cpsi2026.sched.com/event/51c694186aed6c164e5886389b2a1d34
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR