CreateIT 2 Conquer

The LIONS Academy

Targeted coaching that turns the creative expression young people already love into Leadership, Identity, Ownership, Navigation, and Structure.

Ages 13–18 · In person & online · 12-month Academy

Start the Build
What the LIONS Academy is

We don't pull them away from what they love. We build them through it.

The LIONS Academy develops Leadership, Identity, Ownership, Navigation, and Structure in young people through the creative expression they already love. It is the hands-on side of Creative Expression Human Development Theory: an original framework, an original assessment, and coaching that turns a young person's gift into a weapon they carry for life.

  • Targeted coaching

    Every session has a purpose and every plan is built from a real assessment. Nobody just hangs out here.

  • Built from what they love

    Their creative expression is the starting point, the training ground, and the weapon.

  • Measured growth

    Progress in every pillar is tracked, so growth is seen, not guessed at.

What it is not
  • An art class
  • A hangout mentoring program
  • A program for "broken" kids

They aren't broken. They're underdeveloped, and we know how to build what's missing.

Who it's for

Built for the creative the world keeps misreading.

Some are struggling. Some are already doing well and capable of so much more. Every one of them has a creative gift worth developing.

For the young person

You already have the gift.

  • You're obsessed with your craft, whether that's music, art, a sport, building things, or a business idea.
  • People call you quiet, difficult, or distracted, but they don't see what you're capable of.
  • You want more for your life and don't know where to start.
  • You're ready to turn what you love into something that takes you somewhere.

What you create can build who you become.

For the parent

Your child doesn't need to be rescued.

  • Your child is struggling with motivation, direction, school, or the people around them.
  • Or your child is doing well, and you know they have another level in them.
  • You want targeted coaching with a plan, not just someone to spend time with them.
  • You want to see real, measurable growth, and be part of it.

They need to be challenged, guided, and developed.

Find your creative expression

If you love it and you create through it, it counts.

Creative expression is bigger than art. It is any craft a young person pours themselves into. Every domain builds all five pillars, and the ones shown are the pillars each develops most directly.

  • Visual

    Drawing · Painting · Photography · Graphic design · Digital art · Fashion

  • Performance & Communication

    Music · Spoken word · Acting · Dance · Public speaking

  • Entrepreneurial & Innovative

    Business · Brand building · Content creation · Social enterprise

  • Hands-On & Technical

    Mechanics · Engineering · Woodworking · Technology · Building

  • Culinary & Service

    Culinary arts · Barbering · Event planning · Hospitality · Wellness

  • Collaborative & Community

    Team-built projects · Community work · Group creation

Basketball counts. Mechanics counts. Guitar counts.

One of our young people never thought of basketball as creative expression. Then he saw how the decisions he made on the court, his approach to practice, and the skills he built could connect to every other area of his life. That is where the LIONS Academy starts: with what they already love.

How it works

From first form to first breakthrough.

  1. Start the Build

    A parent, guardian, or professional fills out a short intake form. It takes a few minutes.

  2. Your Conquer Call

    The C2C team reaches out within 48 hours to talk through goals, the young person, and the best fit.

  3. The LIONS Assessment

    Conducted by an adult who reads each question aloud. Every answer is the young person's own. It shows where each pillar stands.

  4. Your LIONS Plan

    An individualized plan built around their creative expression and the pillars they need most.

  5. Coaching Begins

    Targeted sessions in person, online, or both, with progress tracked along the way.

The path they're on

These aren't boxes to check. They're markers that show a young person where they are, where they've been, and where they're going, like spaces on a board.

  1. DiscoverTheir creative domain.
  2. DevelopCreative expression as a tool, and a weapon.
  3. DeployThe skills, in every area of life.
  4. DominateTheir obstacles, on their own.
Inside the Academy

Two ways in. One standard.

The LIONS Academy is a hybrid Academy. Young people can build in person at our Missouri headquarters and partner sites, online from anywhere, or both.

In personAt our 3,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Paris, Missouri, and on partner campuses.

  • Creative Expression Labs

    Hands-on sessions where young people create, lead, and solve real problems through their craft.

  • LIONS Builders Sessions

    Focused classroom sessions that go deep on one topic at a time, on campus at schools and partner sites.

  • Group Coaching

    Peers who share the same fire. Camaraderie that turns into accountability.

  • One-on-One Coaching

    Personal coaching built around one young person, their goals, and their creative expression.

OnlineLive and self-paced, wherever they are.

  • Weekly Virtual Sessions

    Live sessions every week that keep momentum going wherever they are.

  • Group & One-on-One Coaching

    The same targeted coaching, delivered online.

  • Courses

    Self-paced lessons that build the pillars between sessions.

  • Student Dashboard

    Their own dashboard to see their work, their plan, and their progress.

The 12-month Academy

Real development takes time. We give it a full year.

The LIONS Academy begins with a 12-month initial Academy. Twelve months is long enough to build habits that hold, not just moments that fade. When the year is complete, young people have options to keep building.

  • Assessment at the start

    Every young person begins with the LIONS Assessment, the baseline for everything that follows.

  • An individualized plan

    A plan built around their creative expression and the pillars they need to build most.

  • Twelve months of coaching

    A full year of targeted coaching, in person, online, or both, long enough for real development to take hold.

  • Growth tracked over time

    Progress measured along the way, so young people and families can see how far they have come.

12Month initial Academy
And beyond

Options to keep building

Development doesn't stop at month twelve. Young people who complete the initial Academy have options for additional participation to keep growing, leading, and deploying what they've built.

What they walk away with

They walk in with a gift. They walk out with a weapon.

They walk to us with problems, walk with us to develop their creative expression as a weapon, and walk away fully equipped to achieve beyond the obstacles they face.

The five pillars, built

  • Leadership

    The confidence to stand behind what they create, and the courage to lead with it.

  • Identity

    A clear sense of who they are and what they are worth, apart from the crowd.

  • Ownership

    Responsibility for their choices, their consistency, and their results.

  • Navigation

    The ability to work through obstacles instead of walking away from them.

  • Structure

    Habits and systems that keep them moving when motivation runs out.

And as the pillars are built, the Core 4 rise with them: Cognitive, Social, Emotional, and Creative development.

What parents receive

  • The LIONS Assessment results, delivered as a full, professional read
  • An individualized plan built around your child
  • Progress you can see over time
  • A coaching team that holds your child accountable
  • A partner in your child's development, not a drop-off service
Creative Conquerors

Athletes have teams. Creatives have a banner now.

Every LIONS Academy young person becomes a Creative Conqueror: part of a community built around who they already are. A team that shows up, holds each other accountable, and celebrates every build.

Discover · Develop · Deploy · Dominate

In their words

They didn't believe it either. At first.

  • "I came into the program thinking it was something my parents wanted for me, but I eventually realized it was something I needed to want for myself."

    Landry H.Participant · Guitar

  • "I had never thought of basketball as creative expression. What started as a conversation I didn't want to have has become an opportunity I'm glad I didn't walk away from."

    Anthony P.Participant · Basketball

  • "Our son didn't need to be rescued. He needed to be challenged, guided, and developed, and that is exactly what this experience has provided."

    Cynthia & Michael D.Parents · Mechanics

Frequently asked questions

Questions parents ask.

Don't see your question? Email info@createit2conquer.com and the C2C team will get back to you.

What is the LIONS Academy?

The LIONS Academy is a targeted coaching Academy for young people ages 13–18. It uses each young person's creative expression to develop five pillars: Leadership, Identity, Ownership, Navigation, and Structure. It is built on Creative Expression Human Development Theory and the original LIONS Framework.

Who is it for?

Young people ages 13–18 who have a creative gift, whether they are struggling or already doing well and capable of more. Parents, schools, courts, and community organizations all enroll young people in the Academy.

My child doesn't think they're creative. Is this still for them?

Yes. Creative expression is bigger than art. Basketball, mechanics, music, cooking, building a business, creating content: if they love it and pour themselves into it, it counts. We help them discover it, then build through it.

My child doesn't want to do this. What then?

That is common, and it is not a deal-breaker. Many of our young people came in resistant. We start by listening, build the plan around their goals and what they already love, and hold them accountable without giving up on them.

Is this an art program, a mentoring program, or therapy?

None of those. It is targeted coaching. Every session has a purpose, every plan is built from the LIONS Assessment, and progress is measured. It is not an art class, not a hangout mentoring program, and not therapy.

Is it in person or online?

Both. In person, at our headquarters in Paris, Missouri, and at partner schools and sites. Online, through live weekly sessions, coaching, courses, and a personal student dashboard. Many young people use both.

How long is the Academy?

The LIONS Academy begins with a 12-month initial Academy. After the twelve months, young people have options for additional participation to keep building.

What is the LIONS Assessment?

An original assessment built for ages 13–18 that shows where each of the five pillars stands. For anyone under 18, it is conducted by an adult or professional who reads each question aloud and records the answers exactly as given. Every answer belongs to the young person. The results become the foundation of their plan.

Who receives the results?

Results are sent as a private link to the parent or guardian and to the referring professional, never directly to the young person. The C2C team uses the results to build the plan of action.

What happens after I fill out the form?

The C2C team reaches out within 48 hours to schedule your Conquer Call. On that call we talk through goals, answer your questions, and map out next steps, including enrollment details.

Can a school, court, or organization enroll a group?

Yes. We work with schools, courts, and community organizations to serve multiple young people. Visit C2C Connect to find your door.

Every lion starts here

What you create can build who you become.

Fill out the intake form and the C2C team will reach out within 48 hours to schedule your Conquer Call.

Start the Build C2C Connect
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