History of the Institute
Dr. Lee, shown here standing with his family, stated upon receiving the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, "If America wants to maintain leadership in technology, we have to improve math education.
We've got to wake up and train the best students."
The Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students was founded in 1992 to serve the needs of gifted students to enhance their mathematical and creative thinking skills. Since its inception, over 2,500 students in grades 5-10 have benefited from the Institute (of whom approximately 70% are minorities and/or women).
Dr. Jong Pil Lee founded the Institute based on the need that a gifted mathematics education program be available for talented students on a tuition free basis. This need is based on the report "National Excellence: The Case for Developing America's Talents" on the status of the education of the nation's gifted and talented. The report describes the crisis of gifted students being underserved in American education, in particular the lack of participation of women and minorities in mathematics and science programs.
In addition, in its publication, "An Agenda for Action", The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics placed problem solving at the top of its list of ten basic skills of mathematics.
