Chastened, Gurdon studied classics at Oxford, but never lost his scientific curiosity. "At school I used to grow thousands of caterpillars to make moths, to the intense annoyance of my tutor," he once joked.

After encouragement from his mother, he returned to his first love, and began a life of scientific research for which Gurdon, now 79, was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Medicine.

In an age of unprecedented change and challenge, our society needs to cultivate, not criticize, young independent thinkers like Gurdon. Unfortunately, our education system is largely designed to do the opposite. Obsession with standardized testing, rigid grade classifications, lock step learning and disruptive schedules are just a few of the accepted "norms" of traditional schools that conspire to derail dreams and stifle innovation.

It's not surprising, considering that American schools grew out of the Prussian model, created to transform peasants into soldiers and workers and instill obedience to centralized authority. Horace Mann, the "founding father" of American education, imported this prototype after traveling to Prussia in 1843. Its imprint was unmistakable. As Ellwood P. Cubberley noted in his 1922 text Public School Administration, "our schools are factories in which the raw product (children) are to be shaped and fashioned."

If widgets are the desired outcome, our schools are working just fine. However, if innovation is a priority, schools must retool and adopt systems proven to promote creativity and exploration.

Among the most successful is the Montessori method, designed to work with, not against, human nature to help children develop problem-solving skills.

The approach is named after Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy's first female physician. A humanitarian and devout Catholic, Dr. Montessori founded the Casa dei Bambini for impoverished and disabled students in Rome in 1907. She observed that young children possessed an innate curiosity and desire to learn and believed the teacher's role was to guide students toward, rather than impart, knowledge and understanding.

"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world," she said.

Among Montessori's many innovations were mixed-aged classrooms, individualized learning and long, uninterrupted blocks of work time.

Dr. Steven Hughes, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology, calls Montessori "the original brain-based method of education" because it is based on scientifically recognized principles of human development.

Montessori education is behind the success of the founders of some of America's most innovative and profitable companies, including Google, Wikipedia and Amazon. "It was part of that training of not following rules and orders and being self-motivated, questioning what's going on in the world, doing things a little bit differently," explained Google co-founder alum Larry Page in a 2007 interview.

The influence of Montessori was quantified in a recent study of 3,000 highly successful global innovators and entrepreneurs by professors Jeffrey Dyer of Brigham Young University and Hal Gregersen of INSEAD. Among their distinguishing characteristics were a Montessori background and ability to follow their curiosity.

I discovered Montessori schools by accident as my daughter approached her fourth birthday. A late August baby, she would have been the youngest in her class, and I was concerned that she would get lost in a pack of larger and louder children. Public school representatives encouraged me to hold her back to give her an edge in academics and sports. However, I knew she was more than ready for classroom learning (and doubted a career in the NFL was in her future).

My quandary was resolved after I visited Mountaineer Montessori School, adjacent to the University of Charleston. There, I saw dozens of little people ages three to six captivated in academic activity. The room was calm. Gold stars and "you are special" posters were nowhere to be found. Children worked happily without constant discipline, praise or entertainment.

Much of the teachers' explanation of the Montessori philosophy went over my head, but I knew one thing: I liked what I saw. Now, as a mother of a confident, creative and academically successful fourth-grader, I know that Montessori was the best decision my husband and I could have made as parents.

On Friday and Saturday hundreds will gather in Charleston for the 2012 Create WV Conference to celebrate and share strategies for promoting economic opportunities for all West Virginians. This year's program will include a session presented by Montessori schools from throughout the state.

As an economic development professional, I know that innovation can be the key to job creation and community revitalization. I encourage government, education, community and business leaders to join us at Create WV to experience the Montessori "magic" for themselves. We have an amazing story to share and are eager to help West Virginia create a future filled with promise and possibilities.

For more information, go to CreateWV.com or MountaineerMontessori.org.