Read about our vision, mission, identity, history
Vision
OUR VISION IS TO EQUIP FAMILIES WITH SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN LIFE.
There is a problem in our current education landscape. The way we educate our young is not practical. By the time they enter the labour market, many young Singaporeans feel purposeless and unable to leverage on their potential. They are unable to identify what they are good at. If human resource is the natural resource of Singapore, are our natural resources powerfully utilised or struggling to find relevance?
We asked ourselves :
- Why are individuals in the work force lacking initiative, creativity and slow to respond to challenges? What are the root issues?
- How do we train individuals to actualise themselves, to be marketplace ready and make wise decisions throughout life?
At Little U, we see the work involved in educating whole families as the missing piece in the current labour market. To upskill the workforce of Singapore to be relevant, significant and future ready, is to meet them where they are – at home, in their contexts of belonging, of growing, and to develop them where they are. Mainstream education today separates individuals from their origin stories of living and learning, such that individuals struggle to make sense of who they are and what they are learning. We have to connect the education of the home to the education of the marketplace.
Our mission is to pioneer a new thinking in Singapore: that training of a quality workforce is the training of whole families through personalising their education. In doing so, they will be able to identify their strengths, develop 21st century competencies and meet challenges in life with confidence.
GO TO : vision, mission, identity, history
Mission
OUR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP YOUR JOURNEY TO MASTERY.
Here is how we do so :
1. WE IDENTIFY 4 MAIN COMPETENCIES REQUIRED IN THE MARKETPLACE :
- CRITICAL THINKING
- CREATIVITY
- COMMUNICATION
- COLLABORATION
2. WE IDENTIFY THE TRAINING REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL RESULTS.
We want our learners to have :
- deep learning of cognitive skills
- immersive learning experiences
3. WE DESIGN OUR TRAINING UNDER THE LEARNERY, A SUITE OF PROGRAMS THAT DEVELOP COMPETENCIES WITH FAMILIES, YOUNG PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONALS.
We designed 8 programs from preschool to adult career guidance so that our learners can choose their best fit for their learning needs. Within each program are
- clear objectives
- a broad flexible curriculum
- trustworthy, experienced leaders
Each family develops their thinking, topics of learning and desired pathways that best suits them.
4. WE FACILITATE THE LEARNING JOURNEY ALONGSIDE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. WE LOOK FOR EVIDENCE-BASED MASTERY OF LEARNING.
Every learner participates in :
- shared observation with peers
- work on keen analysis on self-understanding*
- a one-to-one consultation with their Little U mentor*
*for those signed up full time with under our MTC Transcript/Record
5. WE EVALUATE THE OUTCOMES OF THE COMPETENCIES OBTAINED. A FINAL DOCUMENT CAN BE A TRANSCRIPT, A RESUME, A PORTFOLIO, A PERSONAL BRANDING EXPRESSION. IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD TO OTHERS.
As a member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, we are empowered to work on a personalised transcript or learning record that fully captures your personalised learning experience at Little U. Do check out this video with MTC CEO, Mike Flanagan for the backstory.
GO TO : vision, mission, identity, history
Identity
FAQ 1 . Are you a school?
Our team’s expertise and background as parent-educators and professional educators tell us that we have to think of education bigger than schools. In fact, education happens anywhere where human activities take place. Education is found in every form of industry. As long as you are training human beings, you are educating them in something. Schooling is an expression of education that can be carried out in small and big forms, academic and non-academic, online and off. Even a mix of both.
You can think of The Learnery as a microschool dedicated to the art of developing human potential in talent, employability and management.
You can think of Little U also as a consultancy designed to teach humans to better themselves through thinking deeply about their education – and what they want out of it. The better we understand ourselves as human beings, the better human beings we will be. Society will be better off as a result.
FAQ 2. What is The Learnery?
The Learnery is a long form workshopping exercise that takes the form of a microschool. The microschool specialises in developping families and individuals to better themselves through personalised education.
We run The Learnery like master craftsmen. We want The Learnery to be known for Apprenticeship, Beauty, Craft, Design to meet human resource challenges of the 21st Century.
The Learnery is our prototype for seeding future learning models that will enable individuals to thrive in the future economy. You are welcome to learn with us. Or invite us to do it in your communities. Besides homeschooling families, we work with school leaders, organisations and businesses.
PERSONALISE YOUR EDUCATION WITH US.
GO TO : vision, mission, identity, history
History
2023
Little U is a member of Mastery Transcript Consortium. We are now able to award transcripts for higher education, employment and lifelong learning based on mastery of competencies.
2022
In 2022, Little U turned 5 years old. We worked with ABRY to bring Little U’s Guest Speaker Series out to the public. We worked with NGO Habibi to do a contract work with our Teen Groups so that teens have real life work experience.
2021
In 2021, Little U pivoted to be registered as a company. While it is independent from Homeschool Singapore, it remains a close partner where resources may be shared. We continue to serve the homeschooling community that created the program.
2020
Little U’s third year in 2020 was affected by the covid lockdown. Classes and the Guest Speaker Series went online. As the nation of Singapore adjusted to the experience of online learning, so did we. Our Little U logo designed by our creative director, Grace Tan, was launched.
2019
In 2019, the second year of Little U, more families began to join the program to offer to teach modules. The Guest Speaker Series continued to be hosted from homes.
2018
Little U first began in 2018 as the community learning arm of Homeschool Singapore, with the intention of creating a safe and inclusive space for homeschooling families to learn from the best, and as well, from one another. There was no program like this in the homeschooling community in Singapore at the time. Our monthly Guest Speaker Series was held monthly out of a friend’s home.