ABSTRACT
Summary: Although innovation is typically viewed as a process that always begins with a creative idea and ends with new or improved products, there are other factors that contribute to designing purposive tasks that can be organized into systematic plans for transforming ideas into tangible outcomes. In this chapter we discuss three interrelated components of creative productivityabove-average ability in a particular domain, creativity, and task commitment. The interaction between and among these components of the innovative process are necessary to provide the strategies for developing products or performances that can become audience-or consumer-valued products. Next, we discuss three types of educational services for promoting innovation in young people. These services consist of exposing students to areas of potential interest and task commitment, providing them with the methodological skills to pursue their interests in a professionally authentic manner, and providing the opportunities, resources, and encouragement to see their ideas through to fruition.
