Yasmeen Mezban is the Owner of Busy Minds Ed. Greater Vancouver, which offers customized movement programs for kids. The business focuses on promoting mental health through activities like yoga and dance workshops. They serve childcare facilities and schools in the Tri-Cities, Surrey, Delta, and White Rock areas, generating income through services and workshops. Yasmeen prioritizes inclusivity and aims to make mindfulness commonplace.
What is your business called and what does it do?
My business, Busy Minds Ed. Greater Vancouver, specializes in providing customized mobile movement enrichment programs for childcare facilities, schools, and community organizations. Through close collaboration with these institutions, we offer a diverse range of activities aimed at fostering the physical, social, and emotional development of children and youth. These activities include mindfulness and flexibility-enhancing yoga sessions, motor skills and strength-building gym activities, and dance workshops promoting creativity and self-expression.
Under the Busy Minds Ed. umbrella, we offer two distinct programs: “Little Yogis Academy,” tailored for preschool-aged children, and “Busy Minds Movement,” designed for students from kindergarten to grade 12.
What made you want to do this work?
My journey in child health and development spans several years, during which I have acquired specialized training to cater to the unique needs of neurodiverse children. This experience has encompassed diverse roles in research, clinical practice, education, and health promotion, all centred around the shared goal of enhancing the well-being of children and youth.
Throughout this journey, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of mindfulness and yoga in promoting children’s health. This realization has fueled my desire to establish a business that integrates these practices into the daily lives of children and youth. Joining forces with the Busy Minds Ed. team, I am excited to inspire children, families, schools, and communities across the Greater Vancouver Area.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
Through this business, my objective is to address the rising prevalence of mental health issues among children and youth. Equipping children and youth with tools to effectively manage stressors can yield enduring benefits across mental, physical, emotional, and behavioural domains. By aligning with a mobile movement enrichment provider focused on programs for childcare facilities and schools, I aim to extend our reach to a broader geographic area. This expansion will ensure that more children have access to high-quality yoga, mindfulness, and movement resources to support their mental health. Busy Minds Ed. represents a valuable health promotion initiative, resonating with my background in Public Health.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our primary clientele includes individuals within educational institutions, such as preschool directors, school administrators, and educators, as well as parents and their families.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Our business generates revenue primarily through providing services to childcare facilities, schools, and community centres. We also extend our services to birthday parties. These partnerships involve delivering engaging classes and workshops during both school hours and after-school programs.
Our income is derived from fees charged for our programs, workshops, and classes. We also frequently assist schools in securing government grants to cover program costs.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Busy Minds Ed. Greater Vancouver provides services to the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody), Surrey, Delta, and White Rock.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
An important question for prospective customers to ask is: How do your programs ensure inclusivity for all learning abilities and developmental stages?
At Busy Minds Ed, we prioritize customizing our programs to be inclusive of all children and their unique developmental needs. We acknowledge and train our instructors to adapt programs to effectively meet the requirements of neurodiverse learners, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach in program creation. Given that each classroom or school environment may consist of children at different developmental stages, we ensure that our programs are adjusted accordingly to suit the specific needs of the learning environment.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The most rewarding part of what I do is promoting the health and well-being of children and youth. Observing students thrive and evolve as they engage in yoga, mindfulness, and movement programs designed to nurture their mental health and overall well-being is extremely fulfilling to witness.
On the flip side, the most challenging aspect of my work is advocating for mindfulness programs to become commonplace in childcare and school settings. It can be a continuous effort to encourage institutions to recognize the importance of incorporating these practices into their curriculum and daily routines.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Why did the yogi bring a flashlight to the kids’ yoga class? Because they wanted to do “light” stretching!
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
I would love to pay it forward to Little Bright Minds Preschool. If you’re looking for a preschool that integrates yoga, mindfulness, and movement into its daily routine while also supporting a local business, I encourage you to reach out to Homayra, the owner and manager of Little Bright Minds Preschool in North Delta, BC. For more information, visit their website.
