My Place Principles

Nurturing might be the most interconnected component of the four as we understand, without it, there is no sustained success in any other category. Unlike education where we have a defined what success looks like with benchmarking and standardized tests, happiness, exists on a personal spectrum to which it feels like we’re always sliding up and down. My Place believes having fun and being “overall enthusiastic” creates cognitive associations with education and learning that builds a solid foundation for a lifetime.

• Environment
  Creating warm friendly environments that are highly personal
  
  
• Discipline
  Behavior modification that encourages good behavior
  
  
• Encouragement
  Identifying strengths and providing positive reinforcement
  
  
• Energy
  Environments with a lot of “good vibes”, upbeat music, dancing and fun
  
  

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Over the last decade we have cared-for, coached and educated, thousands of children and we have seen a direct correlation between the performance of students that learn with joy and enthusiasm, versus those that are subjected to traditional classroom environments. We see greater retention/recitation, interest in learning more about the subject, and even higher degrees of confidence with examinations (testing). We have even witnessed decreased levels of stress and improved social bonding with students that are subjected to an active/enjoyable learning environment.

WHAT IS THE LONG TERM IMPACT?
By installing a causal connection between fun and learning, we are establishing long-term behaviors for children to associate learning as a enjoyable and positive experience, not something to be feared or anxiety-inducing. This system also creates a pathway for students to set up systems for themselves in the future by which they aim to have fun while learning in their own studies.

WHAT IS THE RISK OF NOT INSTALLING THIS CORE VALUE
When school systems were set-up in the U.S., they were designed to create a generation of obedient industrial workers, from the curriculum to the “shift change” bells. Where new ideas and disruption were admonished previously, today they are celebrated! Our Age of Information allows for much more diversity in thought, creativity, willingness to challenge the status-quo and thus requires a system that can accommodate individuals, and not just dictating to large swaths of people. The risk of using out-dated pedagogy is that we instill core values that do not translate into today’s economic framework.