00:00Coding, engineering, leadership, problem solving, even yoga and taekwondo, you would think this
00:25was a school for teenagers. After all, the timetable resembles a college prep program, but these
00:32eager faces are only two to six years old. Welcome to Sunshine Kids, Malaysia's first
00:39futurepreneurial preschool. Future citizens are not made by bricks and mortar or by chisel
00:46and hammer. They are inculcated and imbibed only in the classrooms. The first step must
00:51be the right step. So the basic education, it's not, we don't want to create only book
00:56words. We have to create the future citizens, skill-oriented personalities.
01:02Sunshine Kids was founded 10 years ago by Dr. R.V. Sham Prasad and his wife Parameswari
01:08Manoharan in Port Dixon. The preschool blends play, Montessori principles and STEAM education.
01:15That's science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics with entrepreneurial thinking
01:20to spark creativity and leadership from the start. That's why classes blend math, science,
01:29languages, abacus, arts, public speaking, communication, problem solving and values all through activity-based
01:37learning. Sham envisioned franchising the brand from the very start. Three months ago, Sunshine
01:44Kids secured its franchising license and now they are ready to welcome new partners.
01:49Touch the new startup, they can meet us and we will guide them right from the A to Z. How
01:55to set up the preschool, how to get the license, how to get the number of students, marketing
02:00strategy, teacher training program, the complete training program, their operation manual, training
02:07manual. Those who are really, they want to step up into a new startup. If they are passionate
02:12towards education, they can come and meet us. We will guide them. And moreover, it is an affordable
02:19franchise. Sunshine Kids has over 400 students with centers in Negeri Sambilan, a new branch opening
02:28this month at Malacca International School and upcoming centers in Klang and Bangsar on the way.
02:34Each branch follows an original copyrighted curriculum with its own textbooks, activity books and carefully
02:42designed modules. Children as young as four juggle Mandarin, Tamil, Malay and Islamic studies tailored to
02:51whichever path they'll take next, from vernacular education to international schools. The result? Kids who don't
02:58just keep up, but stand out. They are the toppers. Whatever schools, even it may be a Chinese school
03:04or a Tamil school or a Malay school, our kids are the toppers. I can get the good feedbacks from the
03:11government school teachers as well as from the international school teachers. So they are different from others.
03:17Expansion abroad is also underway, with a branch opening in India and future plans in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
03:25Beyond preschools, SHAM envisions private and international schools, perhaps even a university someday.
03:34But at its heart, Sunshine Kids is all about shaping futures, building leaders and proving that with the
03:40right start, every child can shine.
03:45I strongly echo our former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, says education is the greatest tool
03:54which you can use to make use to change the world.
04:06Tibya Ragu and Dinesh Kumar Maganagan, FMT
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