Join us in the June 2014 holidays for our "Creative Thinkers" Camp!

 

It's been a while since my last post. So much has happened from last year till now, from an extremely successful run of the Young Innovators Workshops @ SCAPE in the 3rd quarter of 2013 to a hectic semester teaching at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, all of which I'm extremely appreciative to be a part of.

 

But now on to more good news... We will be collaborating with Victoria Junior College again for the coming June holidays. This time round, we will be playing a bigger role by mentoring the student leaders, who will be assisting in the planning of the programme proper as well as the conducting of the camp as administrators and facilitators.

Our camp's theme is "Creative Thinkers" and it'll be a 3 day non-residential camp for kids 7yrs to 12 yrs old. Here are the preliminary details - official promo materials to come so keep watching this space:

Date: 9th to 11th June 2014 (Monday to Wednesday)
Timing: 9am to 5pm
Venue: Victoria Junior College, 20 Marine Vista, Singapore 449035
Camp Fees*: $350 per child, $300 per pax for siblings or for group sign ups (inclusive of refreshments and meals)
*Part of the proceeds of the camp will go the VJC student leadership project to support them in their community outreach endeavours.
 

Objectives of this camp: To provide young children with a platform to develop creative thinking, collaboration and communication skills under the guidance of their facilitators.

Places are limited to 50 participants so book your places early!

If you'd like to register your child (or children) to ensure he or she has a place at this camp, please send me an email to lapaul232@gmail.com.

Do share this with your friends and a BIG thank you for your continued support. God bless!

A day for all to celebrate, not just children

It's Children's Day today! Hurrah!

What a joy it is to celebrate it because it reminds us to stop for a minute and remember what it feels like to be a kid again. I was watching The Rise of The Guardians with the family yesterday and there was a phrase (well, more like a question actually) that hit home for me..." What is your centre?"

For those who have seen the movie, you'll remember that this was the question that Santa asked Jack Frost when the latter was chosen to become one of the guardians.

If you think about it, this is something that we should ask ourselves too, for aren't most of us always searching for the meaning in life? How can we find our centre too? For to know our centre is to know the part we play in the bigger scheme of things, isn't that so?

It really made me think about the work that we've been doing lately, not just at the primary and secondary schools but with the special needs kids too.

A teacher friend of mine who I had lunched with this afternoon commented that she couldn't fathom how I could find the energy to deal with running the business and admin aspects of JLPC as well as conduct the sessions too. It's all too easy to say that it comes from passion and wanting to make a difference in the world etc etc etc... which IS part of the equation, make no bones about it... but reflecting on this seemingly simple question, I realize the core of JLPC centres on the same thing that Jack Frost realized about himself and his centre, and that is it's 'FUN'.

Our success depends on the happiness of each and every kid that attends our workshops and camps. It is this which provide us such immense gratification for all the long hours and hard work we put into developing and conducting the program. By focusing on the concept that learning should be FUN, the work doesn't become tedious, it makes us feel young again, and most importantly it fuels the passion to want to do more and learn more.

So on behalf of JLPC, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone, from the very young to the very young at heart, a very happy and FUN-filled Children's Day. God bless!

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, and ages too!

We've now completed 4 out of 8 sessions in the Young Innovators Sunday Workshops @ *SCAPE series, with an average of 14 to 16 kids between the ages of 8yrs to 14yrs attending. What I've been most privileged to witness during our workshops is the ease of which these young people have come together, work together and create together. It is heartening to see the enthusiasm that each child brings to the sessions week after week, some of whom have gotten to know each other very well by now, which contributes to the positive energy that vibes the room.

The themes that each workshop focused on enabled us to explore simple and yet very poignant issues such as what country and family means to us, appreciating our home and how we can contribute to doing household chores or making the cleaning up process fun for the family. The kids spoke and wrote from the heart and there were a few truly inspirational moments that just warmed the soul during these sharings.

I've been asked many times, what can be achieved in such a short time, after all it's "only 2 hours". The point that they seem to miss is not what can be achieved, but what has been achieved. Every achievement, no matter big or small is celebrated. From the best use of limited resources, to the most creative innovation, we celebrate them all.

To define success... it is "The accomplishment of an aim or purpose." The mini but many achievements have all added up to one great success... the kids themselves. They are our aim, our mission, our purpose. To be a part of this experience has enriched not just the children but also the trainers and facilitators.

So in light of Teacher's Day celebrations being just around the corner, I'd like to turn the tables a bit and thank the kids who've brightened up our lives over the past few Sundays. They've been the mini teachers, giving us fresh insights to what it's like to see the world through their eyes.

Cheers to them, and the facilitators who've been such a great help, and here's to another 4 more fantastic and innovative workshops.

God bless!
JLPC

[For those interested in registering their kids for the upcoming workshops, please contact Lorraine at lapaul232@gmail.com]

Here are some pictures taken from our past workshops (Please visit our facebook page to see more pictures which have been uploaded in our albums - www.facebook.com/kidsinventJLPC):

"Once Upon A Story" - character development, creative writing and story telling



This team's theme was 'SILVER'

 



"An A-Maze-ing Adventure" - Kids creating mazes from carton boxes.

 

 

"Family Ties" - What family means to us and what we can do to show our support for each other.

 

 



Celebrating Singapore!

Young Innovators is about nurturing creativity and innovation in kids, and is based on a 21st Century Education pedagogy that encourages learning through invention and play. Primarily for kids between 7yrs to 12yrs old, it also develops life skills that will help each child to become a self assured and confident individual.

We had a very fruitful time with the participants of the first workshop in the Young Innovators series.

Held on 4th August, the theme was "Simply Singapore" paying homage to our nation's 48th birthday.

We had a team building activity to kick off our workshop, which was then followed by creating a mural of well wishes and finally our themed floats. Parents were invited at the end of the workshop to watch our version of the NDP with each team coming up to present their creations and give a commentary on what the different elements on their float represent.

For more pictures, please check out the album on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.341938135940232.1073741828.133729543427760&type=3

To register for the other workshops in our Young Innovator series, please contact Lorraine at lapaul232@gmail.com or call 9634 9369. Or CLICK HERE for more detailed information about this program.



The teams with their towers of straw which stood tall and proud!

 

Each child wrote a letter to Singapore, telling her what they appreciated the most about living in this country.



Our foreign friends also had lots to be thankful for.

 

Young Innovators Sunday Workshops @ *SCAPE

Here are the details for our Young Innovators Programme which starts in August.

The Young Innovators Sunday Workshops @ *SCAPE provides a nurturing and safe environment for kids to make themselves heard about who they are, their lives and the people who affect them at home, school and within their community. Every child has an opinion but a lot of them are unable to communicate their views effectively. We want to give them that avenue to express themselves.

Empathy and social awareness are important for kids to learn from a young age and this builds the foundation for them to become better thinkers and creative innovators for the future. The activities and exercises are designed such that it encourages kids to develop an inventor’s mindset, while learning how to collaborate with people who have different skill sets and come from different social backgrounds.



Registration is on a first come first serve basis as sessions are limited to 20 kids per session.

Contact Lorraine at lapaul232@gmail.com to register now.

JLPC Presents "Young Innovators - Weekend Workshop Series at *SCAPE"

Joyful Learning Path Centre (JLPC) is proud to present the "Young Innovators - Weekend Workshop Series at *SCAPE" Specially Designed For Kids 7yrs to 12yrs"

Programme Details:
Dates: 7th July - Open House (from 2pm to 6pm)
            4th Aug to 22nd Sept 2013 (Workshops will be held every Sunday)

Time: 2pm to 4pm or 4pm to 6pm (2 sessions available)
Venue: *SCAPE, Newsroom on Level 4, 2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978
Fees: $40 per session or $320 for 8 sessions

Program Objectives: To encourage discussion & discourse, as well as to develop innovation skills and problem solving mindset, among kids between 7yrs to 12yrs.

Across the 8 weeks of workshops, kids will be introduced to JLPC's 3D Approach To Innovation, which provides them with a powerful set of thinking skills that will stay with them long after they've left the classrooms:

1. Define: Empathy is a powerful skill for the innovation generation. o Kids need to think not only about their environment but the people around them.
o They need to learn to ask questions such as
 Is there a problem here?
 Who is affected?
 What are the resources available to me?

2. Discuss: The power of ideas. o Brainstorming is essential in bringing out the best of ideas.
o No idea is too small or too silly.
o Communication is a vital life skill. Kids learn to listen to each other, as well as make themselves heard.
o They also explore what they can do or produce with the given resources.

3. Develop: Try and try again – turning an idea into realityo It’s not what we know but what we can do.
o Trial and error are an inventor’s best friends.
o Kids learn that mistakes are necessary in the invention process and that picking themselves up and learning from failures only makes them stronger and wiser.

Register for the entire 8 weekends worth of workshops before 26th July and pay only $250. That's more than 20% discount off the usual price!

For single sessions, registration is required 48 hours in advance.

For a detailed weekly breakdown of the Young Innovators workshops or to register your child, please contact us at lapaul232@gmail.com.

Cheers
JLPC Team

About us: Joyful Learning Path Centre provides leadership training programs for the youth, as well as conducts workshops and camps which focus on developing 21st Century Life Skills in kids 7yrs to 15yrs old. It incorporates the science curriculum from Kids Invent, which is a US based science program developed at the University of California in Fresno, into its local program content.

 

Visit and LIKE us on https://www.facebook.com/KidsInventJLPC .

JLPC Open House at *SCAPE - July 7th 2013

JLPC will be hosting an Open House on Sunday July 7th 2013 from 2pm to 6pm at *SCAPE to promote its upcoming "Young Innovators" weekend workshop series, which are catered for kids between 7yrs to 12yrs of age.

Here are the details of the Open House:

Date: 7th July 2013, Sunday
Time: 2pm - 6pm
Venue: *SCAPE - #04-01, 2 Orchard Link Singapore 237978

Come with your family and friends! We have hands on activities all of which are meant to encourage the development of critical 21st Century life skills in our kids. And parents... you can join in the fun too.

It would be great if you could email me your contact details to lapaul232@gmail.com to inform me in advance if you are attending.

See you then!

Cheers and God Bless!