New Zealand-aligned learning that combines structure, curiosity, and real-world thinking.
NZ Curriculum-aligned learning that combines structure, curiosity, and real-world thinking.
Where thinking is taught, and curiosity is taken seriously.
Curious Minds helps families, teachers, and learners access meaningful hybrid education through founder-led programmes, structured literacy expertise, and the YouPlanIt platform.
Imagine a space where curiosity leads the learning.
Where children can explore wild ideas, build critical thinking skills, and connect with other bright young minds — all from the comfort of home or our dedicated learning spaces.
A Better Way to Learn
Learning should be meaningful, well-structured, and deeply engaging.
At Curious Minds, we believe learning works best when it brings together clear teaching, student curiosity, rich conversations, and practical tools that support progress. Our work is designed for learners, families, and educators who want more than compliance-based schooling or disconnected activities.
We create learning environments that support independence, confidence, critical thinking, and genuine engagement with the New Zealand Curriculum.
What We Offer
We empower students to explore what excites them, while meeting curriculum goals and building Critical Thinking skills for life.
Curious Minds Programmes.
Founder-led learning programmes designed to support hybrid education, homeschool pathways, and meaningful student engagement.
Youplanit platform
A New Zealand curriculum-aligned platform that supports student-centred and teacher-centred learning, planning, assessment, reporting, and visibility of progress.
Structured Literacy
Evidence-based literacy support and programme design grounded in 15 years of successful structured literacy teaching practice.
Curious Minds is designed for people who want learning to be thoughtful, practical, and genuinely effective.
Families and Homeschoolers
For families looking for structured, meaningful alternatives that support curiosity, confidence, and progress.
Teachers and Schools
For educators seeking practical curriculum support, better systems, and learning tools that strengthen student agency and engagement.
Learners
For young people who thrive when learning is connected, challenging, personalised, and supported by strong relationships.
Why families and educators choose Curious Minds
Because we do more than talk about innovation.
We combine:
- 30 years of education experience
- 15 years of structured literacy success
- a practical understanding of how learners grow
- a digital platform designed for New Zealand learning contexts
- a founder-led approach grounded in clarity, care, and results
This is education built from real experience not theory alone.
Built in practice, not just in theory
Curious Minds and YouPlanIt have been developed through real teaching real programme design, and real-world testing.
During the COVID period, our delivery model was piloted through a pop-up learning experiment using a registered teacher and the platform-based programme structure. That pilot generated $30,000 over two terms, providing early validation of both the model and market demand.
"This is not just an idea. It is a tested education model built on experience, delivery, and proof"
Founder Section - Meet Tala Vos
Tala Vos is a New Zealand educator, structured literacy specialist, and founder of Curious Minds and YouPlanIt.
With 30 years in education and 15 years of proven success in structured literacy, Tala has spent her career designing practical, effective ways to help learners thrive. She was also homeschooled until the age of 14, giving her a lifelong understanding of non-traditional learning pathways, independence, and the importance of education that fits the learner.
Her work brings together explicit teaching, curiosity-driven inquiry, student agency, curriculum alignment, and digital innovation to create learning systems that support both learners and educators.
As a beginning teacher, YouPlanIt (YPI) has been so helpful with time and resource management. Everything is so efficient and easy to use, from the lesson plans to the resources, to the self-assessment rubrics. I love how it puts the children back at the centre and involves them along every step of the way. YPI is incredibly versatile and helpful if you’re starting an inquiry - everything is there, aligned with the curriculum and ready to go!!
I was lucky enough to be offered the use of YouPlanIt (YPI) for the last term of 2017. It has so many benefits for me as the teacher, particularly in engaging my brightest students (who were very ready to move up the school). The biggest “wow” moment for me was when the students shared their presentations with the class. We were enthralled! Having the freedom to follow their passions, the students were confident and totally engaged the audience. We just didn’t know what might come next.
The students are very keen to ‘go again’, now they understand more about how the YPI program helps and guides them to achieve more exciting learning outcomes. This is Personalised Learning at it’s very best.
I struggle with time management which causes me a lot of stress, especially when it comes to handing things in on time. YouPlanIt helped me organise my time and gave everything I needed in one place. It was really easy to use and gave me a lot of confidence in my learning.
I felt challenged by the idea that I was responsible for my own learning and worried I might fail because I had to rely on myself a lot more. My teacher gave me basic criteria but I had to create the lessons and organise and manage my own learning. I feel proud and relieved because I worked hard and the presentation felt great!
I set high standards for myself and having this chance to focus on something I was personally interested in made me feel a bit scared but I am proud of my work. I worked hard and my expectations were met!! I would like to send the PowerPoint presentation to many others so that they can be inspired by the work I completed.
Taking on more responsibility for my own learning is exciting and worrying at the same time. But mostly I feel happy, inspired, pleased, and proud of the work I do. I really like being able to choose my own topics and have more say in how I want to work through this.