As a parent, you want the best for your child. That starts with selecting an early education program that will nurture your child while allowing him/her to explore, play and create in their first step to a lifetime love of learning.
Tiny Planet Preschool founder Venancio Ugalde, opened its Weston location in 2015, with the mission of providing a bilingual curriculum and culturally diverse education that prepares students for the future.
Tiny Planet is more than a school, it is a concept inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, where specialists in child neurodevelopment and pedagogical currents based on life skills converge. The Reggio Emilla approach emphasizes child-led learning, collaboration, and the importance of the environment in education.
Tiny Planet offers students and parents a variety of different enrichment programs such as swimming classes, Spanish, yoga, and many more sports enrichment classes. Their facility includes a swimming pool and a full-functioning gymnasium. The school is also equipped with iMac’s, Apple Smart TV, as well as iPads in the classrooms which teachers use as educational tools and homework help for our afterschool program.
We sat down with Venancio Ugalde, founder & owner of Graven International Group, Inc. aka Tiny Planet Preschool, to learn more about his journey in early child-hood education.
Tell us how you became an innovator in preschool education.
After a decade of work in our Mexico City-based family education business, in 2012, I decided to immigrate to the United States, specifically to the city of Miami, where I had the great opportunity to open a preschool in the Brickell area. This new adventure gave me a wonderful opportunity to learn the market and create a unique concept that would, in turn, have a great impact on the community.
In 2015 we expanded north and created the Tiny Planet concept in Weston. Derived from the success of the brand in the United States, I decided to expand the concept to
Mexico. We have three Tiny Planet locations in Mexico, with two more locations in the works to be announced in 2024.
That is incredible. Why did you choose Weston for your first Tiny Planet location?
Weston had an impact on me from the first time I visited. I always wanted to open a school in a suburb with high social and economic growth and, above all, offer a unique concept that could generate trust and deep roots in the community.
What makes Tiny Planet unique?
Tiny Planet is a school that values each of its collaborators. We believe that we are responsible for creating a better world for our boys and girls, providing the values and knowledge that allow them to be competitive and better citizens of the world.
The primary strength of our project in Weston lies in the exceptional quality of our administrative and educational team. These professionals, who have dedicated years to serving their community, are well-recognized for their meaningful contributions and ability to foster a familial atmosphere within the school. Among them is Ivis Mateos, General Manager at Tiny Planet.
We guarantee that it will be a pleasant experience for anyone that visits us. You will have the opportunity to see our facilities, meet the team, and to better understand our philosophy and educational model.
Tiny Planet Preschool is located at 16098 W. State Road 84. It is open from 7am to 6pm.
For more info visit www.tinyplanet.edu or call 954-384-4884.
