Ikigai Explorers

We believe finding a life talent that inspires you to get out of bed every day is fundamental to happiness. As Burners, we want to orient this search by taking into account what the world and our local community needs.

Bi-monthly, we bring our IKIGAI magic to a cohort of 30 12-to-14-y-old underprivileged kids from a tough Bogota neighborhood (Patio Bonito), and introduce them to creative career paths with the potential to open their minds and lift them out of poverty.

So far, we have given classes on music composition, photography, cinematography, the recycling and waste management industry, cartoon design and in electronic engineering! All based on the talents, industry connections and passions of our volunteers. In a second phase, the kids will pick their favorite program.

For 5 weeks, the volunteers will engage the kid to develop a project related to the career theme in question. At the end, the teams will compete and present their work to a jury of reputed local experts. They will help us shine a light on the initiative by taking on a “godparent” role, help us identify talent, and build bridges.