800 PRESCHOOL ARTWORKS ON UPCYCLING TO BE PART OF SINGAPORE ARTWEEK FOR THE FIRST TIME: MULBERRY LEARNING

• Pre-schoolers From Mulberry Learning To Showcase Artworks That Express Their Dreams for a Better, More Sustainable Future In Week-Long Exhibition Called Transformations
• Mulberry Learning's Revamped Art Integration Curriculum To Offer Preschool Children More Opportunities to Use Art Intentionally

SINGAPORE, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mulberry Learning, the first preschool in the world to be certified by The Institute for Habits of Mind, is proud to announce the showcase of the first-ever 800 art piece installation by preschool children in Singapore Art Week 2025. Aptly named Transformations, the exhibit will feature artworks that express the dreams of children for a better and more sustainable future. Over the last 3 months, Mulberry Learning pre-schoolers aged 3 to 6 were tasked with using recyclables to create models of what their future homes would look like. The resulting artworks provide a fresh perspective of the world from these young minds and offer a glimpse into the unbounded imaginations of children, and a hopeful reminder of our next generation's potential to inspire change.

This showcase is the first of a series of art-centric programmes that Mulberry Learning will be embarking on as part of their revamped and enhanced Picasso Kidz^TM curriculum, an in-house art programme thoughtfully designed to provide a strong foundation in visual arts while nurturing essential 21st-century skills in children. Research has shown that art develops brain capacity and creativity in young children^[1], providing platforms for self-expression while enhancing cognitive, social-emotional and multi-sensory skills. With data from over 20 years of teaching young children, Mulberry Learning's curriculum team recognises the benefits of integrating art meaningfully and holistically into early learning programmes. While art may already be employed in the classrooms to enhance learning for some lessons, Mulberry Learning will be devising more art-centric syllabi across all of their pre-school curriculum, incorporating art into English, Chinese, Math and Science classes in a more systematic manner. Mulberry Learning's new arts curriculum complements other core signature programmes like Habits of Mind^TM and Reggio-inspired Project Inquiry^TM to create a unique early learning experience that nurtures the Future Ready Child. 

To spearhead this change will be Mulberry Learning's new Curriculum and Training Manager in Art, Hamish Betts, who has over 30 years of experience as a professional artist. He will be working closely with the Mulberry Learning curriculum development team and teachers to segue art into existing programmes, to enhance early learning. "Art is truly a transformative form of education for young children. Art knows no boundaries and needs no verbal language skills for interaction and self-expression to occur. Mulberry Learning focuses on child-led expression instead of technical perfection, allowing children to fully expand their imagination," says Hamish.

"Mulberry Learning has always been at the forefront of pushing boundaries for early learning and on top of the Habits of Mind^TM framework and Reggio-Emilia approaches, we are pleased to add yet another research-backed programme to our curriculum," says Mr Peh Yi Han, Chief Operating Officer of Global Eduhub Pte Ltd, which helms the Mulberry Learning brand. "Training of teachers is a crucial part of a successful curriculum, and each teacher will undergo over 100 hours of training under Hamish in order to fully execute the art programme we have devised. Under the guidance of trained teachers, each child will be able to develop the skills of exploration, creativity, and self- expression, whilst picking up technical skills and fine motor skills– forming an excellent foundation for a child to navigate his/her world in the future." For Singapore Art Week, Hamish worked tirelessly with the  12 participating centres to educate and train teachers on how to use art to inspire learning.

Transformations will be on exhibition from 20 to 26 January 2025 at VivoCity, Level 1, South East Boulevard, from 10am to 10pm daily. Admission is free. Mulberry Learning will also be conducting short art sessions for young children during the launch and throughout the exhibition. Sessions are open to the public on a walk-in basis, first-come-first-served, limited slots per session. Enquiries may be made in-person at the exhibition.

For more information on Transformations, visit www.artweek.sg/event-detail/transformations. For more information on Mulberry Learning, visit www.mulberrylearning.com.

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For details on Transformations, see Appendix A.
For details on Mulberry Learning's Picasso KidzTM, refer to Appendix B.
For information on Mulberry Learning, refer to Appendix C.
For spokesperson biographies, refer to Appendix D.

Website:  www.mulberrylearning.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/@mulberrylearningcentres 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mulberrylearning
Hashtags: #MulberryLearning

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About Mulberry Learning

Mulberry Learning is the first preschool network in the world to be certified by The Institute for Habits of Mind. Mulberry Learning started with the dream of nurturing a competent explorer, an imaginative thinker, a creative problem solver and the Future Ready Child. With 19 locations around Singapore, Mulberry Learning is recognised for its vibrant Reggio- inspired learning spaces, comprehensive bilingual programmes, holistic development outcomes, and strengths in character development via our proprietary Habits of MindTM framework. Globally, Mulberry Learning has centres in Australia, Panama, and the Philippines. For more information on Mulberry Learning, visit www.mulberrylearning.com.

About Global Eduhub

All around the world, over 10,000 children and their parents' lives have been positively enriched through our innovative future-ready curriculum, passionate educators, and delivery of quality education. Established in 1995, Global EduHub is a leading private education group headquartered in Singapore with over 8 brands offering infant care, preschool, student care and enrichment programmes across 70 schools in multiple countries. Global EduHub has once again been recognised as a preferred employer in the education industry, proudly earning the Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2024 award at the annual HR Asia Awards, making us a two-time winner! In addition, we are honoured to receive accolades in the Most Caring Company and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion categories, reflecting our steadfast commitment to excellence, care, and inclusivity. For more information, visit www.global-eduhub.com.

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Issued for and on behalf of Mulberry Learning  by Affluence PR Pte Ltd.

APPENDIX A

TRANSFORMATIONS

Synopsis

Transformations is a heart-warming and imaginative exhibition featuring the collective creativity of 800 preschool students from Mulberry Learning. The children are tasked with upcycling everyday objects to create artworks that express their dreams for a better, more sustainable future. This installation is a testament to the power of young minds and their fresh perspective on the world around them.

Each student's contribution forms a unique piece of a larger installation, showcasing over 800 individual art pieces that are connected by a common theme: transformation. Through this process, children learn the importance of sustainability, creativity, and environmental stewardship, as they turn ordinary items into extraordinary visions for the future. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the unbounded imagination of young children and serves as a hopeful reminder of the next generation's potential to inspire change. Presented by Mulberry Learning and curated by Mun, this exhibition is a celebration of art, education, and sustainability.

Participating artists/curators:

Mun, Curator, Singapore
Elizabeth Wong, Artist, Singapore
Joshua Wong, Artist, Singapore
Van Wangye, Artist, Singapore
Bill Toh, Artist, Singapore
Aaron Foeste, Artist, USA
Hamish Betts, Artist, New Zealand
Alpana, Artist, India

For more information, visit www.artweek.sg/event-detail/transformations.

APPENDIX B

MULBERRY LEARNING PICASSO KIDZ^TM - Mulberry Learning's Unique Approach towards Arts Education

Picasso Kidz™ is the newly-revamped in-house art programme under the iExperience pillar of Mulberry Learning's award-winnning "iDevelop-iExplore-iExperience-iLearn" framework, thoughtfully designed to provide a strong foundation in visual arts while nurturing essential 21st-century skills in children. The programme involves weekly art lessons, parent-engagement workshops, teacher training and community collaboration platforms. The lessons are designed to emphasize four key facets of arts education: Communication and Expression, Elements of Art, Areas of Art, and Universal Skills. By focusing on these areas, Picasso Kidz™ fosters creativity, intentionality, and autonomy in the art-creation process, ensuring that children's art-making journey is as meaningful as the final product.

Unlike traditional approaches to art which focus on producing visually appealing outcomes, Picasso Kidz™ prioritises the creative process. The weekly lessons emphasise four key facets of arts education, namely Communication and Expression, Elements of Art, Areas of Art, and Universal Skills, allowing children to explore and appreciate art in diverse forms such as textiles, construction, collage, and printmaking, among others. The programme encourages children to experiment and take ownership of their work, building their confidence as independent creators. In the process, children also develop fine motor, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, which are critical for their future success.

To support the child's learning, teachers at Mulberry Learning undergo over 100 hours of comprehensive training and are provided detailed lesson plans crafted by Art Curriculum & Training Manager Mr Hamish Betts. This ensures that children are guided effectively via a child-centric, open-ended philosophy towards exploration and expression. Furthermore, the programme includes a monthly parent engagement initiative, fostering a collaborative partnership between home and school. Parents gain insights into the philosophy behind process-driven art and are given opportunities to actively support their child's creative journey, reinforcing the impact of the programme.

Picasso Kidz™ also aligns seamlessly with Mulberry Learning's core signature programmes such as Habits of Mind™ (HOM), Reggio Emilia and its Literacy/Numeracy programmes, and helps to enhance these programmes through infusing art and creative expression. This first-of-its-kind art programme enables a holistic and innovative educational experience at Mulberry Learning, setting a new benchmark for preschool arts education—one that values individuality, celebrates the creative process, and cultivates lifelong skills for success, supporting Mulberry Learning's mission to nurture The Future Ready Child.

APPENDIX C

MULBERRY LEARNING CURRICULUM AND METHODOLOGY

• Habits of Mind™ curriculum: Mulberry Learning is the world's first and only preschool network certified by the USA for the Habits of Mind^TM. The Habits of Mind^TM framework has been adopted by Singapore's Ministry of Education to groom the top 1% of students under its Gifted Education Programme. Of the 16 habits, we have specially curated 12 habits that are mindfully infused into our curriculum, utilising teachable moments and daily routines.
• Reggio Emilia-inspired learning: Mulberry Learning is the largest practitioner of the Reggio Emilia approach in Singapore, a globally renowned early childhood pedagogy, regarded by experts as the best way to truly ignite a child's love for learning. Through our carefully designed learning corners, we aim to foster creativity, curiosity, and a lifelong passion for discovery. Our 8 learning corners include: Light Atelier, Busy Baker, Imaginary Playscape, Discovery Cove, Reading Nook, Construction Piazza, Art Atelier, and Finger Gym.
• Bilingual programmes: By age 6, children will have an impressive vocabulary of 4,500 words, have acquired over 2,000 Chinese words, mastered more than 40 Chinese idioms, and be able to recite 16 Chinese poems like Ming Ri Ge (明日歌).
• Infant Care Programme: Mulberry Learning's infant care programme stands out for its comprehensive curriculum framework, including signature programmes: Little Explorer^TM, Music Stimulation^TM, Muscle Master^TM, First Touch^TM, and Colourful World^TM, which enable infants to develop and learn through their own reflections and experiences. Many centres also have an infant spa where your infants get the privilege of spa sessions with bubbles, whirlpool jets, and soothing lights in speciallyimported spa pods.
• Award-Winning Teachers: With over 250 hours of extensive training, Mulberry Learning's teachers embody and impart our Reggio-Inspired Curriculum that supports child-centric learning.
• Award-Winning Preschool: Mulberry Learning has over the years amassed many early education awards, accreditations and certifications such as:
  • The New Age Parents "Best Infant Care and Preschool Programme" Award 2024
  • HoneyKids "Singapore Preschool of the Year" Award 2024
  • Winner of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (Established Brands), 2020 / 21
  • HoneyKids "Best Early Learning Program" (aged 0 – 6 years old) Award, 2021
  • Singapore's Child "Best Holistic Curriculum" Award, 2019 to 2020
  • Kids World "Best Reggio Emilia Preschool", 2017 to 2018
  • Young Parents "Best Holistic Learning Programme", 2016 – 2019
  • Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK)
  • Healthy Preschool Accreditation (HPS)
  • World's first and only preschool network certified by the USA for the Habits of Mind^TM

MULBERRY LEARNING CENTRES

APPENDIX D

SPOKESPERSONS BIOGRAPHIES

Mr Peh Yi Han, Chief Operating Officer, Global EduHub

Yi Han is the Chief Operating Officer of Global Eduhub, the education group of which Mulberry Learning is a part of, along with 3 other preschool brands. In his role, he assists the CEO in driving strategic growth initiatives for the group, leading the group's branding, business development and M&A functions. He also functions as the Chief Information Officer for the group, heading IT, cybersecurity, procurement and engineering teams. He has a wealth of work experience in the education and consumer services industry, leading corporate development, marketing, customer service and operational teams in various educational companies.

He was most recently the Director of The Learning Lab, Singapore's largest tuition and enrichment brand in Singapore, and has also held managerial positions at the Singapore Economic Development Board in Singapore and Tokyo. A top student and a government scholar, he knows what it takes for students to succeed in today's context.

He holds a Master of Science degree from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.

Ms Mandy Goh, Head of R&D (Mulberry Learning and Little Green House), Global EduHub

Mandy Goh has over 18 years of work experience in early childhood education, having personally led the setting up and management of numerous Mulberry Learning preschools across Singapore, Australia and China. She is a strong advocate of child-centric learning for young children, and spearheads the Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum development initiatives for Mulberry Learning and the Literacy programmes for Little Green House.

She holds a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education (ECDA Scholarship) from Wheelock College and a Bachelor of Science (Economics) Management Studies from the University of London.

Mr Hamish Betts, Curriculum & Training Manager in Art, Global Eduhub

Mr Hamish Betts is a seasoned Art Educator and Consultant with over 30 years of experience in the field of art. Throughout his career, he has worked with organisations such as Inspired Arts and Zart Art, as well as consulted for numerous international schools in Singapore on both arts-specific initiatives and holistic curriculum development.

A passionate advocate for nurturing creativity, Mr Betts ran his own art school for 7 years, creating an enriching and inclusive space where learners thrived under his mentorship. His expertise spans designing innovative art programmes and inspiring artistic expression among students and educators alike. Mr Betts holds a Master's Degree in Organisational Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Education, Elementary Education and Teaching, from The University of Auckland.

^[1]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379575859_Artistic_Activities_and_Developing_Creative_Thinking_Skills_among_Children_in_Early_Childhood