Priti Anand

All journeys start with hope, aspiration, excitement and that butterflies in the stomach feeling of doing new things, reaching new places, meeting many new people and building relationships.

Our journey of Neev is now at a helm where we are walking along with many people who share the passion, vision and drive to impact early education. It's a dream not of one but for many to come along in this journey where the fruits of labour will be there for generations, long after the ones who believed in the dream and tread the path to its reality.

Neev took the cudgels in 2004 to create a space in early years that was of a quality, that was not available in Bangalore. 13 years later Neev is still evolving, that it must continue to do, yet a very mature organisation that has its own unique mark in early years space. From 35 children and 18 teachers to more than 500 children and 100 teachers it's not only grown in number but also in stature.

At the core of it is the child who is capable, curious, competent. Neev is a place for children to build and enhance their capabilities in all areas. We strive to nurture in them all abilities that will allow them to flourish in all environments with confidence and independence and be caring, compassionate and happy individuals.

Life isn't about finding yourself Life is about creating yourself" - George Bernard Shaw

And so building the skills, attitudes, dispositions one needs to do this is what education is about. It is what we aspire to do everyday for every child. We are aware of the research, in the last couple of decades, that has happened in the area of brain development in the early years, that goes a long way into defining adult personalities. We take this responsibility very seriously and constantly endeavour to train ourselves to do the best. Our core values of Grit, Honour, Grace are our true north and guide us in what we do and how we do it for our children and for each other.

As our children go out into the world as adults 10-15 years hence, they will be in jobs that don't exist now. So the following saying sums it.

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." Malcolm X

Sreemoyee Sengupta

"Our image of the Child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all, connected to adults and other children"- Loris Malaguzzi.

This very image of the child drives all learning at Neev. As an early years educator I firmly believe that in working with young children we must create a world of endless possibilities! I remember reading that "The most engaging preschool experiences rarely come home in a backpack!" We therefore strive to create an environment that brings out the uniqueness in every child. The start of their journey of being life-long learners begins here at Neev where children are encouraged to ask questions, explore, wonder, discover, exchange ideas and test their own theories through play. Learning at Neev is designed to be purposeful and meaningful with a hope that children take ownership of their learning. At the end of preschool, when we have children who are robust, caring and respectful individuals we know that our job as educators was well done!

Aparna Atreya

The real world is very rich in its complexity and we are constantly struggling to make sense within it. And early childhood education is no different. At Neev we are a community of educators driven with a strong intent, purpose and passion in everything we do.

Young children are permeable. They learn quickly and are often filled with curiosity about the world around them. We create a unique opportunity to ensure that children and parents develop a life filled with a love for learning. Early childhood curriculum is an important aspect of this process. ECC(early childhood curriculum) is everything children learn. Be it planned or spontaneous. How we make this happen is through constantly upgrading our own best practices. In short, we are better educators when we connect the educational dots.

I personally have had an incredible experience working here. I feel challenged to make sense of my role and at the same time feel encouraged to develop a community of competent colleagues with whom I can bounce off ideas, think deeper and deeper with questions of how best we can help our children learn and thrive in an environment

that is so enriching. I feel that, in a community where everyone is enthusiastically participating- all of us moving forward with our learning, in our own quaint professional spaces, where all levels of expertise are valued and celebrated, turns out to be a fantastic confluence of collaborative learning, professional growth and fun. The journey has just begun, and I know I have miles to go before I sleep.

Rashmi Srivastav

As an early childhood educator I believe that each child is unique and needs a secure, caring and stimulating environment. This will help each child grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically and socially. At Neev, we help children meet their full potential with their social identity and encourage sharing of ideas to become compassionate, curious learners. We believe that the children are valued, nurtured and respected as individuals from an early age to instil confidence that shapes personality. As an educator it is my role to assume responsibility for each child's all round development whilst they are in my care.

We, at Neev, strongly believe in the relationship between the quality of learning environments and the quality of learning. Therefore, we strive to develop an environment which ensures a warm, supportive atmosphere where each child can succeed, feel loved and also develop a sense of belonging. My team's focus is on developing within children the skills to become resilient, to be able to connect with others, to be able to express themselves and their concerns. I aspire to have in my children, care and respect for others, confidence and curiosity to learn.

I thank the parents for their unstinting support in imbibing these values in our young Neevites. As we move forward, we are happy to see our children to be more proactive in living the school's core values and role-modelling the dispositions of a Neev student.

"The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences" - Loris Malaguzzi

Archana Vijay

What do we wish for our children's future? An important question to ask ourselves as educators and parents. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. We cannot foresee the future, but definitely help our children prepare for it!

Growing up in the 80's,teaching and learning was synonymous with 'finding or knowing the right answer'. It more or less lead to supposed knowledge acquisition and guaranteed academic success. The beauty in today's futuristic education systems is that there is an emphasis on the 'poignant learning process' of each child, where the quest is not for the right answers instead it leads to a continuous journey of testing theories, innovating and constant questioning of one's thinking! We are in the 21st century where our children are moving towards a generation of innovation boom, predisposed towards creativity, collaboration, risk-taking and problem-solving. So what will work or help the future generations to succeed and flourish?

I have been fortunate enough to experience different schools of thought over the years in various early childhood centres across the world.

Neev itself has undergone an exciting evolution of early childhood education philosophies, thoughts and practices over the years. As an ever evolving organisation catering to the needs of our children today and tomorrow; keeping in sync with globally researched and significant practices we have come to give power and meaning to our curriculum to enable a stronger future for our children. At Neev, the play-based curriculum revolves around the child, his needs, capabilities, strengths and interests. We focus on what the child can achieve rather than what they cannot! Thus we work on building skills and dispositions so children are ignited with a life-long love of learning. As we give this gift of 'love for learning' we are gearing our children with skills like research, negotiation, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and critical-thinking to be, become and belong as a citizen of this great planet!

Jyoti Talgeri

To see a World in a Grain of
Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
- William Blake

These lines encapsulate the wonder a child has, as he/ she begins exploring the world around them! Early childhood is an amazing phase in human life, where every little incident leaves a remarkable impression on the child's understanding of the world. The curious mind yearns to find meaning in everything using the very basic tools that they have- their senses!!

At Neev, we believe in nurturing this innate curiosity of the child through creating a fun-filled environment enriched with possibilities to explore, investigate and inquire. We value play as an integral part of all learning, a tool which helps in a holistic approach to the content, to help develop every aspect of each child. We value the uniqueness of each child as a learner and the need to create an environment that fosters and guides the child into becoming a lifelong learner. The role of parents and educators together in

partnership, is just that of a facilitator in the child's learning, providing a safe and secure space for the child to grow as a confident, competent and knowledgeable citizen of the world.

Personally, Neev has given me an opportunity to work in a creatively challenging environment which I have always believed in while bringing in the joy of learning to ignite the young curious minds!!

Pooja Mahendru

"Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace which is right for each individual child."
~Anonymous

This is truly what we at Neev believe in. These early years provide a foundation for lifelong learning where children make meaning through various experiences and broaden their understanding of the world around them. They discover who they are and where they belong.

As an early years educator, I believe in our passion, vision and mission. We create a safe, caring, and stimulating environment, with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. Through this journey, we strive to nurture children and encourage them to become independent, confident, capable and curious learners. The impact of these years is reflected at the end of preschool when we see children confidently displaying their unique attributes and a life-long love of learning.

Being part of the Neev team, I feel proud to be able to contribute to these curious minds and be a part of this amazing journey of self discovery.

“Let the child be the scriptwriter, the director and the actor in his own play.”
~ Magda Gerber

Shruti Jain

‘School’,a place that ignites curious minds,builds on individuality and identity,nurturing children from toddlers to becoming self directed learners with a quest for knowledge,ready to dig deeper and find answers to their questions,that's Neev' for me.I believe that teaching and learning should open a window which allows the free flow of ideas, innovations and thoughts.This is only possible when we allow deriving the curriculum from the learners interest rather than focusing towards directing the learner to the curriculum. In a world that is unpredictable,one needs to enhance their capacity to be adaptable,develop resilience and relate knowledge and understanding to real life situations.Without a healthy exchange of motley ideas,interactions,debates and discussions,the quest for far reaching learning is improbable.

At Neev I am proud of helping our learners steer their way on a journey of learning, discovery and wonder.