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https://www.todayonline.com/brandst...y_Today-Evening-Brief_newsletter_30112023_tdy
Ooi Boon Keong/TODAY
Ms Zoe Poh, 30, started SpedGrow after noticing that her special needs students had issues with financial literacy.
This article was written in support of Learning Minds.
SINGAPORE — As a special needs educator at Metta School, Ms Zoe Poh, noticed that her students had problems making daily essential financial transactions such as topping up their transit cards and counting money.
This spurred the 30-year-old to start SpedGrow with a friend. The social enterprise aims to help this vulnerable segment of society by equipping them with practical financial skills to lead more independent lives after graduating from school.
Along with courses on this subject, SpedGrow has an app with budgeting tools and gamified learning materials on money management and digital payments.
This emphasis on practical learning resonates with Ms Poh who has had an education journey unlike many of her peers and describes herself as a hands-on learner.
After having some difficulties with her studies during junior college, she dropped out and enrolled in a polytechnic course in psychology where she found the approach to teaching more in line with her learning style.
"It was my first significant setback and I initially blamed myself for the two years I felt I had wasted. However, this experience, though challenging, eventually became a critical part of my journey, pushing me to overcome self-doubt and pursue a path that was better suited to my learning style and passion," she said.
While Ms Poh had met students through her course of work who were not savvy with finances, it was only during her time studying at the Singapore University Social Sciences (SUSS) that she crystallised an idea on how to help them.
While she was teaching at Metta School, Ms Poh decided to pursue a Bachelor of Counselling at SUSS in 2017 to equip herself with better communication skills to understand her students better.
“What is the cause behind that action? There must always be a reason for why the child is acting this way. The course taught me that I can actually take a step back, look at the situation and re-assess how I can implement strategies to help me achieve that desired behaviour,” she said.
For Ms Poh, being able to do a degree at a later stage in life suited her better personally and also professionally as she was able to immediately apply and assess the skills she learnt while teaching.
“That gives me a lot of perspective and motivation because I know that if I can pick this skill up, if I can understand this module well, it can translate to this measurable outcome in my job,” said Ms Poh, who completed the part-time degree in four years.
While her initial intention was to become a full-time counsellor after completing her course, Ms Poh chanced upon SUSS’ venture builder programme soon after graduation.
The SUSS' venture builder programme, which includes mentorship and connections to funding opportunities, helped Ms Poh and her friend turn their idea into a tangible business.
Apart from helping her start-up take off, her part-time degree has also helped with her work on SpedGrow.
The communication skills she picked up as part of the course allowed her to conduct “meaningful” interviews with their target audience to better understand their emotional and psychological needs.
As SpedGrow grows, Ms Poh believes it is important to grow as a person too. She has also been picking up computer science and design thinking skills through online courses.
"Our dedication to continuous learning ensures that we remain at the forefront of technology, enabling us to provide individuals with special needs the best tools and opportunities for a better future," she said.
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https://www.todayonline.com/brandst...y_Today-Evening-Brief_newsletter_30112023_tdy
Ooi Boon Keong/TODAY
Ms Zoe Poh, 30, started SpedGrow after noticing that her special needs students had issues with financial literacy.
This article was written in support of Learning Minds.
- After meeting special needs students who had difficulties with daily, essential financial transactions, Ms Zoe Poh decided to launch a start-up to teach financial literacy to these students
- She did a part-time degree in counselling at the Singapore University of Social Sciences which equipped her with communication skills to help her understand these students better
- She also tapped on the university's enterpreneurship programme which helped with mentorship and funding opportunities
SINGAPORE — As a special needs educator at Metta School, Ms Zoe Poh, noticed that her students had problems making daily essential financial transactions such as topping up their transit cards and counting money.
This spurred the 30-year-old to start SpedGrow with a friend. The social enterprise aims to help this vulnerable segment of society by equipping them with practical financial skills to lead more independent lives after graduating from school.
Along with courses on this subject, SpedGrow has an app with budgeting tools and gamified learning materials on money management and digital payments.
This emphasis on practical learning resonates with Ms Poh who has had an education journey unlike many of her peers and describes herself as a hands-on learner.
After having some difficulties with her studies during junior college, she dropped out and enrolled in a polytechnic course in psychology where she found the approach to teaching more in line with her learning style.
"It was my first significant setback and I initially blamed myself for the two years I felt I had wasted. However, this experience, though challenging, eventually became a critical part of my journey, pushing me to overcome self-doubt and pursue a path that was better suited to my learning style and passion," she said.
While Ms Poh had met students through her course of work who were not savvy with finances, it was only during her time studying at the Singapore University Social Sciences (SUSS) that she crystallised an idea on how to help them.
While she was teaching at Metta School, Ms Poh decided to pursue a Bachelor of Counselling at SUSS in 2017 to equip herself with better communication skills to understand her students better.
“What is the cause behind that action? There must always be a reason for why the child is acting this way. The course taught me that I can actually take a step back, look at the situation and re-assess how I can implement strategies to help me achieve that desired behaviour,” she said.
For Ms Poh, being able to do a degree at a later stage in life suited her better personally and also professionally as she was able to immediately apply and assess the skills she learnt while teaching.
“That gives me a lot of perspective and motivation because I know that if I can pick this skill up, if I can understand this module well, it can translate to this measurable outcome in my job,” said Ms Poh, who completed the part-time degree in four years.
While her initial intention was to become a full-time counsellor after completing her course, Ms Poh chanced upon SUSS’ venture builder programme soon after graduation.
The SUSS' venture builder programme, which includes mentorship and connections to funding opportunities, helped Ms Poh and her friend turn their idea into a tangible business.
Apart from helping her start-up take off, her part-time degree has also helped with her work on SpedGrow.
The communication skills she picked up as part of the course allowed her to conduct “meaningful” interviews with their target audience to better understand their emotional and psychological needs.
As SpedGrow grows, Ms Poh believes it is important to grow as a person too. She has also been picking up computer science and design thinking skills through online courses.
"Our dedication to continuous learning ensures that we remain at the forefront of technology, enabling us to provide individuals with special needs the best tools and opportunities for a better future," she said.
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