6
I.
Historical and conceptual framework of Edu1st and the VESS
Model
Edu1st - brief history
Education First Inc. (Edu 1 st) was founded in Florida in January 2000 by Gilberto Pinzon
and Ana Maria Fernandez. Both involved in education for over twenty years, Ana Maria and
Gilberto have successfully created, developed and managed numerous preschool centers in the
United States as well as two international primary and secondary schools in Bogota, Colombia.
In 2001, Edu1st began operations in Florida by buying its first preschool center, Pines West
Academy, in the city of Pembroke Pines. Eighteen months later, Edu 1 st built and grew its second
center from zero, First Steps International Academy, in
Weston. This center reached its point of equilibrium at the
seventh month of operation. In November 2005, after
enjoying four years of financial and reflective growth with
the first two preschools, Edu 1st acquired a third center,
VIP Kids Bilingual Preschool. At the end of 2010 fiscal
year, the company successfully completed its first decade of
operations with an average annual growth of 25%, ranking
43rd in growth among educational enterprises in the United
States during the 2000-2010 decade.
Edu1st - About us
Education First Inc. is a leading and pioneering organization that regards integrity,
passion, and
open-mindedness as its mainstay in the pursuit of a culture of thinking and learning. We are
a team of people who want to make an impact and a positive change in the community
through visionary education.