Kindergarten By Angry Birds Coming To Dubai
Dubai-based Equilibrium Management Consultants has announced that it has signed an agreement with Fun Academy, to launch kindergarten schools across the Middle East commencing September 2017.
Fun Academy is a spin-off of Finnish-based Rovio- the developer behind the wildly popular ‘Angry Birds’ app.
Rovio launched Fun Academy in December 2015 and according to news reports at the time, the company is staffed by "key personnel" from Rovio’s educational operations and has licensed the Angry Birds brand from Rovio.
According to the Fun Academy website, the company is, “creating a collection of innovative, inspiring services and digital tools that will transform education as we know it today.”
The first Fun Academy product to be rolled out is an early years programme for 3 to 6 year-olds called the ‘Angry Birds Playground.’ The program is licensed to pre-K and kindergarten operators, and to date it has been used in China, Singapore and Minnesota in the US.
Sanna Lukander, CEO of Fun Academy and former VP Education at Rovio Entertainment signed the agreement with Equilibrium at the Finnish Embassy in Dubai.
Speaking at the event she said, "our aim is to coach teachers to adapt the Fun Learning approach and environment that is both exhilarating and transformative. We have combined Finnish expertise in education with a strong background in entertainment to create the Fun Learning approach designed to support the curiosity, explorative minds and enthusiasm of young children.”
“Equilibrium Management Consultants shares our education philosophy and approach to learning, and we are delighted to be partnering with them to share the Fun Academy Kindergarten experience with teachers and children across the Middle East," she want on to say.
The Finnish early years’ curriculum emphasises the child's individuality and the significance of active learning and the importance of acting as a group member. According to the Finnish National Board of Education, it is “based on the child's own knowledge, skills and experiences. Its focus is on play and a positive outlook on life. Another central consideration is to promote the child's own initiative and to emphasise its significance as the foundation for all activities.”
Renu Punjabi, Director at Equilibrium said at the event, "our Middle East partnership with Fun Academy underscores the priority of Equilibrium to enable children to enjoy learning, while at the same time applying the Finnish expertise to education."
