The preschool culture in India is undergoing a massive transformation as parents increasingly discern the importance of cognitive, social and emotional development of their children during their early childhood. The custom of parents sending their child to the nearest preschool or the most popular pre-school in the vicinity has become a thing of the past, thanks to the timely, revolutionary interventions of insightful Edupreneurs like Prajodh Rajan, who is the Co-Founder & Group CEO of EuroKids International. Under the aegis of Prajodh, EuroKids, which started with just two preschools in 2001, has now grown as a wide network, comprising 1200+ preschools and over 30 K12 schools across multiple brands ­ EuroKids, EuroSchool, Kangaroo Kids, Billabong High & EuroVarsity in 350+ cities. In the process, the organization has won a plethora of awards, including the `Best Education Brands' and `Power Brand' awards in the preschool category.

A management graduate from the University of Madras, Prajodh is a torchbearer instilling 21st-century skills in young learners. The award-winning Edupreneurs is also the founding & active member of many industry forums, including his association with Rotary India Literacy Mission's Happy School project. Prajodh's `Child First' philosophy combined with his constant strive to innovate has been the cornerstone of many `firsts' in early childhood education in India. One of the key aspects of consistent innovations is, however, upgrading the curriculum so that it remains age-appropriate and is in sync with global trends. With EuroKids, the latest edition of this upgrade is the mindful curriculum ­ Eunoia, which is derived from the concept of integrating Mind, Body & Soul of a child.

Setting Benchmarks
Prajodh in fact has not only pioneered such novel approaches, but also set benchmarks through them. The development of the Safe School Protocol, along with one of the world's leading assessment platforms for safe school certification, and thereby making EuroKids & EuroSchool the first certified safe school network in India is a case in point. Today, the optimal safety standards are followed in every EuroKids & EuroSchool center through mandated safety checks, which include CCTV installations, child-friendly furniture, background check of staff, and hygiene codes maintained with regular clean ups & fumigation activities. "The safety protocols in schools are as important as imparting knowledge. We maintain the intensity of safety measures across our centers through regular workshops that are provided to school staff as well as the Franchise-owners & their staff. These workshops include emergency training activities, safety code checks, and fire drills along with safety demonstrations," asserts Prajodh. In fact, the safety protocol for the pre-school & school is undertaking a big shift at the EuroKids group to address the post COVID-19 scenario. This is to ensure that the campuses are fully equipped to welcome students with complete safety and hygiene to prepare for the new normal in life.

The robust safety protocols, however, ensure the stress-free mindset of parents. Additionally, EuroKids has

designed a unique Family Partnership Program, wherein a child's family members partner him/her in the learning process. Apart from sending periodic feedback of their ward's progress, the centers constantly keep in touch with the parents through Newsletters, Theme-end Letters, Weekend Letters and a Bimonthly Parent & Child Magazine. The program today also offers effective engagement and milestone tracking using digital platforms.

Above all, teacher recruitment & training remains one of the most demanding and predominant aspects of thriving forward. "It was early in the days, when we realized the inadequacy of teacher training institutions for early childhood education and we needed a mechanism to create the constant supply of trained teaching resources. Hence we initiated EuroVarsity, an online teacher training & certification program for women who like to pursue a preschool teaching career," adds Prajodh. Additionally, to ensure that the existing teachers periodically update their skill sets, the organization also developed ETAT (EuroKids Teacher Assessment Tool), an online teacher assessment and training tool ensuring that its teachers comply with specific uniform standards and their skill sets are continuously upgraded.

Optimizing the Potential
According to a report by Report Linker, the preschool market in India is poised to grow by $3. 27 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 18 percent. Going forward, Prajodh is determined to optimize this potential, while envisioning to create a young generation with 21st century skills. Driven by this vision, EuroKids is constantly adding new dimensions to its curriculum delivery modules, based on meticulous researches and infusing it with the extensive experience of dealing with young children for the past 19 years.

We maintain the intensity of safety measures across our centers through regular workshops that are provided to school staff as well as the franchise-owners & their staff

Prajodh Rajan, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Eurokids International
A management graduate from the University of Madras, Prajodh is highly passionate and committed to the cause of instilling 21st-century skills in young learners. He is the founding & active member of many industry associations. He is also associated with Rotary India Literacy Mission's Happy School project, whish is an initiative to create better school infrastructure in India. For his contribution to the Early Childhood Education & Learning industry, Prajodh has been awarded numerous awards & accolades including Entrepreneur of the Year, Top `50 Leaders changing Indian education', and `50 visionaries ­ leading icons in Education. He enjoys an enviable reputation in the industry, for his pioneering efforts in early childhood education in the country, besides creating a fertile ecosystem for education entrepreneurship.

Eurokids In Spotlight:
• Over the last several years, EuroKids International has played an active role in the evolution of the education landscape with its portfolio of brands committed to delivering a robust foundation for future generations
• The group today is a wide network, comprising 1200+ preschools and over 35 K12 schools across multiple brands - EuroKids, EuroSchool, Kangaroo Kids & Billabong High in 350+ cities
• Its Child-First Approach leads to adapting to the best global practices and upgrading them on an ongoing basis

“Prajodh in fact has not only pioneered such novel approaches, but also set benchmarks through them”

Eunoia ­ The Mindful Curriculum
EUNOIA is derived from the Child-First ideology, wherein the innocent and beautiful mind of a child is the origin of everything EuroKids does. In this unique curriculum, the activities and initiatives are crafted to nurture the mind of a child, keeping it healthy and well-balanced. When the mind is in harmony, it thinks beautifully, and explores fully. It gets an opportunity to explore the world around and develop different dimensions through it.

Awards & Recognition:
• Best Innovative Curriculum of 2019 ­ Indian Education Awards 2019 - EuroKids
• Best Education Brands of 2018 - ET Best Brands Awards 2018 - EuroKids
• Indian Education Awards 2017 ­ Early Child Playschool Chain - EuroKids
• Kangaroo Kids: Awarded for Innovation in Curriculum- World Educatin Summit 2017
• Innovation in Pre-school Pedagogy 2017 - World Education Summit 2017 - EuroKids
• Indian Education Awards 2016 ­ Innovation In Early Learning - EuroKids
• KKEL : Best K12 Academic Innovative Curriculum- Franchise India 2015
• "Best in Category - Education" Franchising Award 2015 - EuroKids
• Indian Education Awards 2015 ­ Early Child Playschool chain - EuroKids