movement

when we remove categories from sports, dance, martial arts, etc. all is just movement

it is only a change in perspective, but it allows for connections that are not usually present in traditional disciplines

we use principles of acrobatics, dancing, and martial arts in order to gain better general motor control, agility, and confidence

go

the game of Go is one of the oldest board games still played today

this is not the first time it is used in an educational context — in ancient China it was considered one of the four essential arts of culture

the game develops skills like pattern recognition, planning ahead, long-term vs short-term thinking, decision-making, and focus

our aim is not only to benefit from Go itself, but especially from the shifts between different modes of thinking that occur when it is alternated with physical movement

we believe these shifts improve, among other things, adaptability to changing circumstances, which is exactly what the new world asks of us

pawnz-project for kids

education is the number one factor to both improve one's own life, and society

the educational model at schools is outdated

we are growing up in a completely new world nowadays

the world changes at a much faster pace

that asks for a fresh perspective

when someone is genuinely interested, processing and integrating new information is natural and happens much faster and more efficiently than when it's forced

why is play an enhancing factor?

play is a widespread behavior in the animal kingdom, and there is a reason: play is rewarding, it makes us want to engage, explore, repeat and try again

neuroscience is increasingly revealing how deeply reward, motivation and learning are connected — while research with children is showing that well-designed play can be a powerful context for learning

cutting edge neuroscience is confirming what ancient philosophy said too

our teaching philosophy is based on providing an environment specially designed to develop creativity and connections for both body and mind

in this project, we channel our ideas and professional expertise into creating experiences that get as close as possible to that “learning sweet spot”

A note on research & our philosophy

The ideas presented on this page describe our educational philosophy and are informed by research in fields including developmental psychology, neuroscience and education.

We reference scientific research where relevant, but our interpretation of that research should not be understood as medical, psychological or scientific advice, nor as a guarantee that our programs will produce any particular outcome for an individual child.

Scientific research is continually evolving, and individual studies rarely establish simple cause-and-effect relationships that apply equally to every child. We therefore distinguish between what research directly demonstrates and the principles that we, as educators and practitioners, draw from it.

Our programs are not designed to “optimize” children or promise measurable cognitive, physical or developmental results. Our aim is more straightforward: to create an environment in which children are curious, challenged, active, creative and genuinely engaged in learning.

References to historical thinkers and traditional educational ideas are presented as philosophical context and should not be interpreted as evidence that those thinkers anticipated or scientifically established modern findings.

For the legal terms governing participation in our programs, please see our Terms & Conditions.