CRADLE TO CRAYONS
Samta Goenka
"There needs to be a lot more emphasis on what a child can do instead of what he cannot do"
Cradle to Crayons
Marking the beginning of a child's educational platform is pre-schooling. The times have immensely changed; the necessity of preschools has been a matter of concern for parents for years, but now no more.
The significance of providing a child with a strong learning environment prepping them towards a higher and structured way of learning has been recognized among parents. With highly functional preschools intersecting the day-care arena, learning through the educational, behavioural, societal and functional opportunities for kids today has amplified.
Similarly, building a strong foundation that focuses on the overall conducive growth of the child is Cradle to Crayons, under the wise leadership of Mrs Samta Goenka, Director, developing their potential to the maximum. They add to the growing years of the child a pleasurable mix of learning opportunities and play- a place where children's curiosity is encouraged while wonder and inquiry being the integral aspects of the program. The school plates a broad range of activities, including interactive, motor, listening, sensory experiences and more.
THE INITIAL YEARS
Cradle to Crayons kept laid its founding stone in 2014 with a thought to provide children from birth through age 12 with the everyday essentials they need to thrive on at home, at school, and play and carry an overarching vision of a future free of childhood poverty. The school, as an institution firmly believes in instilling values in their children along with better pre-reading skills and richer vocabularies. Above all, they help in building emotional and social skills, they learn sharing and caring.
INSTILLING FAITH IN PARENTS
Parents being an integral part of the Cradle to Crayons organization, they have continuously reposed their faith on them due to their transparent system. The parents have been included in school activities as the 'Parent Volunteer Scheme' wherein they become a part of school working processes.
Their feedback and suggestions are well taken care of and the whole premise is CCTV guarded and a child's safety is their utmost motive. It is believed and followed at the preschool that personal and social skill developments are imperative and should not be ignored or compromised.
THE EDUCATIONAL SCENARIO
The traction of growth over the years has been steady for Cradle and Crayons and within a span of five years; they have made a mark for themselves in the industry and can also be seconded by the fact.
In a global scenario, the school's educational environment is based strong. They have kids from multiple nationalities enrolled with them. The parents of the kids that are already enrolled with them are the best source of reference and recommendations to their friends and families especially those who have relocated from foreign countries.
CHANGING INDUSTRY TRENDS
Cradle and Crayons feel that the trends that would be dominating the preschool industry the most would be the adherence and comprehending the significance of the security and safety of the children. Prioritizing the overall growth and nourishment of the child on the basis of activities and fun that is based on the enhancement of learning skills would be another trend that would dominate the market.
"We feel a lack of awareness among parents about the importance of a good preschool for a child and also with high attrition rates availability of good quality teachers. We as an organization provide regular trainings to our staff so that value addition helps them in executing better. Also providing a happy and positive environment for children and staff as well" Cradle to Crayons team.
SYSTEM AND STANDARDS
Apart from the academic curriculum, the preschool has specialists coming in to teach dance, music, pottery, and Tae Kwando. There are age-appropriate Yoga and other activities that have been made a vital part of the ongoing curriculum with various educational and recreational outings that are organized throughout the year.
"We as educators can contribute to raising the quality and standards of our education system. We need to activate the mechanism for rating and ranking universities /colleges striving for quality education of global standards should be the principal aim" Cradle and Crayons.
EDUCATIONAL ETHOS
The preschool industry has changed enormously over the last few years, the competition has amplified amongst the schools and the standardization has also augmented. The emphasis is highly concentrated on safety and good infrastructure. Technology has started to play a significant role in the scenario; it has infused smoothly in various ways of education.
The kids now have become smart technologically and also are skilled in adequate and optimum use of smart boards. EDUTABS has been introduced in the schools where the teacher has absolute control over the operation and allows them to instruct the children, knowledge is imparted under complete guidance and supervision.
EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM
In the current education system, there are a few changes that are required like each school should have adequate devices used optimally as a part of the school curriculum. There should not be wastage of time and energy, devices should be easy to use and cater to individual class needs.
'Cradle to Crayons' have won the prize for the best preschool in Gurugram twice with the students winning the maximum number of awards in a variety of categories. The students have shown capabilities in victoriously bagging various interschool competitions and tae Kwando championships.
The school not just educates the child, but it also enlightens them morally and towards the society, along with the senior school 'Suncity World', Cradle to Crayons also runs a school especially for underprivileged kids, ARPAN. The teachers at Cradle help them by mentorship to appear for higher grades.
At its heart, Cradle to Crayons is the product of countless small acts of kindness that, together, make a big difference. Their "kids come first" values and culture have enabled them to energize a diverse and inclusive community of more than 75,000 volunteers while supporting more than one million children to date. Their daily work continues to be inspired by the unity and power of their collaborative mindset — as they continue to expand their legacy of service to those who need them most.
Get The CEO Magazine to your Door Steps; Subscribe Now
