MANILA, Philippines - Imagine a world where children are all prodigies, skillful in the arts, music, or even in the most complicated fields of science and metaphysics. Reaching their potential at a very young age, they show impressive feats that leave adults dumbfounded with admiration and wondering what preschool milk they were fed with. Is it really possible or just wishful thinking?
David Chiem, founder and group CEO of Mindchamps Holdings Pte Limited, believes that children in this day and age can be whatever they want to be. And this applies most especially now, in the 21st century when we live in a stimulating visual and auditory environment. With rapid technology developing and educational standards becoming stiffer and more competitive, it is necessary to raise a child who can take on life’s challenges; it is important to raise a champion.
“We need to engage children in the classroom. By only teaching them the ‘what to learn’ and not the ‘how to learn,’ we are not equipping them to face the information explosion. We need to equip them with the mindset of champions — the desire to put their individual mark on everything they do, to challenge conventional wisdom and turn adversity and failure into success,” Chiem says in his bestselling book The 3-Mind Revolution.
In 1998, Chiem established Mindchamps, an education training center with head offices in Singapore that specializes in learning tools catering to the needs of 21st-century youngsters.
An important component of the Mindchamps program is based on the concept “champion mindset’’ of Prof. Allan Snyder, an expert on the “hidden abilities” of the mind.
Snyder’s research with the Centre for the Mind at the University of Sydney and years of studying the phenomenon of championship distinguished three elementary traits of champions — they abhor being ordinary; they are courageous in confronting conventional wisdom; and they have struggled and experienced adversity.
Applying Prof. Snyder’s theories and methods, Mindchamps features the latest research and development from the domains of education, neuroscience, psychology, and the art of engaging the mind.
The program also includes personal empowerment, as well as communication and interpersonal skills designed to lead the imagination and develop the champion mindset by helping children reflect upon themselves, set goals, and develop confidence.
“In addition, teachers are trained to provide a nurturing and supportive classroom environment where students are accepted for who they are and permitted to express themselves freely without the fear of being chastised,” stresses Chiem.
Parents are also required to attend parenting strategies workshops to help them understand what their child is learning and how they can assist to create a supportive, study-friendly home environment.
Chiem has heard a lot about the Filipino child. “From what I’ve heard, Filipino kids are fast learners, hard-working and technology-savvy. They have great potential to be brilliant,” he enthuses.
Currently, Mindchamps is assessing the infrastructure, demographics, and educational landscape in the Philippines for a possible introduction to the market. Chiem predicts that the Philippines will be able to adapt well to the system like the other countries that has embraced the Mindchamps philosophy such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Discover more about the champion mindset from David Chiem as he talks about “Creating a Champion Mindset” and “Defining Creativity and How to Nurture It In Every Child” at the Superkids 2011 on Sept. 16-17 at the SMX Convention Center. For details, call 890-0661 or 896-0682, or e-mail info@primetradeasia.com.