Carol Yap, the founder of Yelaoshr Education Group, has been dedicated to exploring innovative education since entering the education industry in 2005. She firmly believes that the beauty of education should not be measured solely by exam results, but by uncovering and stimulating the infinite potential of children. In 2016, she began to deeply study the philosophy of Finnish education. Through reading numerous books and reports, she gradually developed a strong interest in the student-centred, happiness-focused, and developed a strong interest in education philosophy that emphasizes happiness and innovation.
In 2018, she visited Finland to survey, touring several schools and engaging in in-depth discussions with local educators. Finnish education heavily emphasizes the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of students, as well as their all-round development. This philosophy reinforced Carol Yap’s belief that the primary task of education is to cultivate physically and mentally healthy individuals because only healthy-minded people can build a healthy society and country.
From Inspiration in Finland to the HundrED Application.
Inspired by Finnish educational philosophy, Carol Yap began to think about how to integrate these ideas into Yelaoshr’s educational practices and gradually developed a series of innovative projects. In 2019, she discovered HundrED, a global education innovation platform that focuses on identifying and promoting the most promising educational innovations worldwide. HundrED’s vision and mission align closely with the child-centred, innovation-encouraging educational philosophy that she advocates.
From 2019 to 2023, Carol Yap submitted Yelaoshr’s innovative projects to HundrED multiple times, including Teacher Zhang Baoyou’s “Creative Maths Magic” and her initiative, “From Educator to Edupreneur.” Although the applications in the earlier years were unsuccessful, she did not become discouraged. She’s well aware that educational innovation must be backed by data and practical results. Therefore, she continuously improved the project content, collected teaching outcomes and data, and applied for government certification to ensure the long-term sustainability of the projects.
Through continuous effort, these projects gradually matured, especially the “From Educator to Edupreneur” project. Providing educators with entrepreneurial skills training, helps them transition from traditional teachers to education entrepreneurs, opening up new pathways for professional development. This concept has gained recognition from an increasing number of education professionals and has gradually attracted the attention of HundrED.
Breakthrough of 2024: From Shortlist to Official Invitation
In May 2024, Carol Yap finally received an email from HundrED, informing her that the two projects she submitted had successfully made it to the shortlist for HundrED’s Global Project Selection. This news was incredibly exciting for her, as it was a significant recognition of her years of effort. Then, in a further notification in July, she learned that one of the projects, “From Educator to Edupreneur,” had been officially selected for the HundrED Global Collection 2025. Even more exciting, she received an invitation to represent Yelaoshr at the HundrED Innovation Education Summit, which would be held in Helsinki, Finland, from November 12 to 14.
Upon receiving this news, Carol Yap was deeply moved. She reflected on the journey from the disappointment of her first application to the eventual success, and every effort along the way felt particularly precious. To better prepare for the summit, she and her team compiled a vast amount of project data and progress reports, striving to showcase Yelaoshr’s educational innovation practices on the international stage.
Gains from Participating in the HundrED Innovation Education Summit
In November, Carol Yap arrived in Helsinki, Finland, to attend the three-day HundrED Innovation Education Summit. At the summit, she not only shared Yelaoshr’s “Scaling With Purpose” framework, which includes five reflections and outlooks. These five reflections and outlooks were not only a summary of her years of work in promoting educational innovation, but also provided valuable inspiration and references for the global education community:
1. The core of innovation is student-centeredness.
Educational innovation must not deviate from the fundamental goal of education. Yelaoshr has always adhered to a child-centred educational philosophy, with the core of all its projects focused on creating better learning experiences for children and unlocking their potential.
2. Empowering teachers is the key to educational transformation.
She shared how the “From Educator to Edupreneur” project helps teachers break free from the traditional education framework through entrepreneurship training and support systems, enabling them to become leaders in driving educational reform.
3.Maintaining the quality of innovation while scaling up.
Carol Yap pointed out that the scaling of innovative educational projects should not come at the expense of quality. She used Yelaoshr’s experience of expanding to over 70 education centres nationwide as an example, demonstrating how to maintain the core values and teaching quality of the projects during the expansion process.
4. The sustainability of a project depends on data and collaboration.
She emphasized that the success of any educational innovation requires the support of solid data and widespread collaboration. Through government certification, community involvement, and ongoing data collection, Yelaoshr’s projects ensure long-term sustainable development.
5. The integration of a global perspective with local practice.
She deeply experienced that educational innovation requires the combination of international perspectives with local needs. By integrating the advanced concepts of Finnish education with the realities of Malaysia, Yelaoshr’s projects successfully achieved an effective fusion of global educational innovation and local practice.