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Keynote speech by Su Fen, our CEO and Founder of Preschool Market
RETHINKING & REIGNITING ECE: Building Community Connections
Community partnerships and collaborations are an essential part of a preschool's operation in enhancing the learning experience of the children. One individual who has harnessed the potential of community partnerships and connections to transform the early childhood education sector is Su Fen Cheong, our CEO and Founder of Preschool Market. In this blog post, we will share the different parts of her keynote speech and explore the pivotal role community connections play in shaping the future of early childhood education.
“It takes a village to raise a child!”
The saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," is a well-known African proverb that underscores the importance of a supportive community in nurturing and shaping the future of a child. Sufen has chosen to speak on this topic because it emphasizes the idea that raising a child is not the sole responsibility of parents and teachers alone, but requires the collective effort and involvement of the entire community. Through her keynote speech, she shared her thoughts, experiences and observations about the role of community connections and collaboration practiced in Singapore.
Strategies to build partnerships
Kindred Studio SG is one of the initiatives that we have started and Kindred Studio is a community project that is to connect our communities & corporates with educators by turning trash to treasures. The recyclable items donated by corporate partners and the public to Kindred Studio SG, are in turn given free of charge to all the preschools in Singapore and educational organizations who request for them, to turn everyday trash into useful materials that can be used to make different types of crafts catering to all age groups, or to teach their students about upcycling, recycling, sustainability and care for environment.
Sufen shared in detail some of the strategies for building partnerships such as using technology as a platform, engaging community resources and encouraging family and community involvement that can be implemented. She also shared about the Start Small Dream Big Campaign, that encouraged preschools in Singapore, to get children and parents involved to do good and contribute to their community in their little ways. Through the Start Small Dream Big Campaign, it has helped to cultivate a culture of giving, community collaboration and connections, trust and shared responsibility, with the children benefiting and learning, in an early childhood setting.
Preschool educators that attended the keynote speech taking in inspiration
It is Sufen's hopes that through her keynote speech and sharing, preschool educators from around Southeast Asia will find nuggets of inspirations and ideas, to go forth and forge their own community connections and collaborations, expand on the spirit of Kindred Studio SG in reducing carbon footprints, encourage upcycling, recycling, sustainability.