“We emphasize emotional intelligence—learning to be kind, compassionate, loving, connected and respectful.” Brigitte Benchimol Owner and CEO, Creative Mind Preschool
in the past, what struck her was how homogenous the population was. ”The first thing that comes to my mind when I see that is: Diversity needs to happen.” Making a vision a reality That message has been her inspiration since 2003, when she began to write a series of children’s books about a boy who travels around the world with the help of a magic bubble. “I realized that when we travel, it’s not always comfortable. Meeting people who are different, eating unfamiliar foods and sleeping in a different bed isn’t always comfortable,” Benchimol says. “But when we hang on and go through this discomfort, the magic happens right after that. This is how we open the minds of our children.” At the school, teachers and students regularly speak Spanish. Benchimol speaks French to French families and at least one parent observed that in five minutes onsite, he heard five different languages spoken. “This is what I want the children to see,” she says. “One world with many different nationalities.” Students who are Ukrainian, Italian, Chinese, German and Korean are among those who attend. Benchimol learned about running a successful preschool from her purchase of a small school in Chatsworth in 1999 and expanding it to the building next door. She also led another preschool in the San Fernando Valley before taking over Creative Mind. Those experiences helped her realize her dream for a preschool that teaches life lessons and character education. “We don’t emphasize learning the alphabet or numbers or colors here. Instead, we emphasize emotional intelligence—learning to be kind, compassionate, loving, connected and respectful.” This approach is one that parent Monica Rodriguez especially appreciates. Her 3-year-old daughter Brianna has been attending Creative Mind for a year. “She has learned so much about respecting others from being at this school,” she says, adding that children learn to speak up for themselves and ask questions as
teachers talk about different countries, different foods and cultures and Native American communities.
Valuable life lessons In addition to diversity and character building, Benchimol says the children also learn about sustainability. “We teach them to pay attention to our water and paper and not to waste. We became a solar facility in 2018, so we ‘walk our talk.’” Another aspect of her philosophy is teaching natural consequences. “The children know exactly what to expect. It’s a very structured school, but they have a lot of freedom,” Benchimol explains. “We don’t do timeout. If a child is not getting along with other children, they might have to play by themselves for a while until they’re ready to rejoin the group.” A typical day for the children includes plenty of playtime indoors and outdoors. After playtime is circle time, where the children might practice yoga, enjoy arts and crafts, or learn about different animals or the seasons. Each month, they also learn about a different woman “who has changed the world,” Benchimol says. Snack time focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables, and has introduced many of the children to new foods. Rodriguez says when her daughter first started attending the school, she was reluctant to eat what was packed in her lunch. “Now, because of all the new foods she has had the opportunity to try, she eats almost everything served to her,” she says. Benchimol says her long-term goal for the school is “constantly progressing and evolving according to our children’s needs.” She points out that because “it takes a village to raise a child, finding a village we love is essential not only for the well-being of our children but also our own well-being.” She is acutely aware of the responsibility she has undertaken. “I have a chance to make a difference with this generation,” Benchimol says. “I want to make the most of this opportunity.”
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