Global educational institution, Playtos Miniversity, has announced the launch of its innovative Beyond School model, which aims to unite traditional schooling with competency-based learning for children aged between 10 and 14 years old. The program, known as the Playtos Odyssey, consists of four Quests, each lasting 16 weekends, and focusing on developing three key types of skills – life skills, leadership skills, and entrepreneurship skills.
Playtos’ approach is based on Socratic Dialogues, where educators use questions to provoke discussion and stimulate experiential learning. This methodology is designed to encourage children to ask questions freely and learn from each other, rather than from an educator. The program’s holistic approach to learning encompasses four key elements – abilities, skills, qualities and knowledge, which aims to shape children’s identities and foster a sense of resilience, curiosity, and self-awareness.
At the end of each Quest, participants are asked to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in a public event. Playtonites are not graded in the traditional sense, but rather encouraged to showcase the knowledge they have gained in that specific quest. These events can range from public speaking to pitching innovative business ideas to a pretend panel of potential investors.
Playtos was founded in 2021 by Yash Vasant, a serial entrepreneur and public speaker, in collaboration with Balazs Simon, a veteran humanitarian worker with various United Nations agencies. After meeting each other in Africa, the two sought to provide an alternative method of education, moving away from traditional industrial-type classrooms. Playtos’ operations are led by Janki Vasant, Yash’s mother, who has over 30 years of experience working with children through her non-profit, Samvedana Trust.
The Beyond School model was designed for children aged between 10 and 14 years old, during a crucial period where children begin to form their identities. Playtos aims to provide not just knowledge or skills, but to help shape young people’s identity as curious, self-aware, and resilient individuals. Currently, Playtos has one campus located in India and is looking to expand internationally through franchising. Its curriculum can be easily adapted to local contexts, and its online platform, Playtoverse, is being developed by the international team at Playtos in partnership with global AI experts.
Balazs says, At Playtos, we aim to guide and challenge Playtonites and encourage them to grow into responsible and empathetic citizens who are capable of fostering positive change in their communities and society at large. Through its Beyond School model, Playtos hopes to create well-rounded individuals who are leaders in their own right and in sync with their personal values.
