MindChamps PreSchool, established in 2008 by the MindChamps Group, in Singapore, has grown rapidly to take the number one market share for a pre-school in the premium range. With a total of 31 MindChamps PreSchools and MindChamps Reading & Writing centres strategically located nationwide, it is now poised to go global.
“It has always been our vision to take MindChamps PreSchool to the world, and in the process of building our brand, we have been very strategic in selecting the right partner. After years of contemplating this, I’m glad to share that SPH is that partner. We share the common vision of bringing a world-class early childhood education approach from Singapore to the world,” said Mr David Chiem, founder and Group CEO of the MindChamps Group.
Of Chinese descent, Mr Chiem went from fleeing the Vietnam War as a boat refugee, to growing up in Australia without a word of English, to creating the number one market share leader (premium pre-school brand) in Singapore within 5 short years. It was his father who inspired him to pursue his passion in education; “There’s only one thing I can give you that no one can take from you, and that is your education.”
Mr Chiem’s subsequent successes is the result of his exemplary mindset – the Champion Mindset as uncovered by world renowned neuroscientist Professor Emeritus Allan Snyder (Centre for the Mind, University of Sydney). The Champion Mindset is the cornerstone of MindChamps educational philosophy and pedagogy; it is incorporated into all aspects of the MindChamps curriculum.
Right from the beginning, it had always been the vision of Mr Chiem to make a difference in the lives of children by establishing MindChamps as a leader in early childhood curriculum. With its 10 years of extensive research and development of enrichment programmes for children in Primary School to tertiary level, MindChamps was able to synthesise and distil its findings into a ground-breaking pre-school education approach – ‘The MindChamps Way’.
MindChamps PreSchool Milestones
When MindChamps PreSchool was launched in 2008, it achieved the distinction of being the first pre-school to be fully booked within 3 months and with 150 students on the waiting list.
MindChamps PreSchool also broke convention when 22 of its franchise licences were bought before the opening of its first centre. In recognition of this outstanding achievement, MindChamps PreSchool was featured as the cover story in Asia Franchise magazine (2008).
In 2011, the breakthrough literacy programme – MindChamps Reading & Writing was launched. Within a year, the programme was incorporated into the MindChamps PreSchool curriculum. A multi-media division was also formed to produce more than 200 electronic reading and phonics books at a cost of more than $3.5 million to be used in class and at home by parents and children. This innovation has made MindChamps the first and only early childhood education provider to produce proprietary electronic reading and phonics books.
MindChamps PreSchool expanded rapidly and within 5 years, it was selected as Winner, Franchisor of the Year in 2013 by the Franchising & Licensing Association, making it the overall winner at Singapore’s top franchising award across all industries.
In 2014, MindChamps PreSchool received the internationally renowned Superbrands mark of distinction in the categories of early childhood and enrichment programmes.
Also in 2014, from an independent nation-wide survey of more than 3,000 respondents conducted by Brand Alliance, MindChamps PreSchool was selected as the Top Influential Brand in Singapore under the category of pre-school education
Mr Alan Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Press Holdings, said: “SPH is pleased to partner with MindChamps in the pre-school business. The pre-school education market in Singapore offers good investment fundamentals and growth opportunities in the long term. MindChamps PreSchool is well-positioned with its proprietary teaching methodologies and management system to meet the demand for pre-school and enrichment programmes both in Singapore and abroad.”