Who are we? 

We are a tax-exempt educational organization whose mission is to inspire curiosity and courage. We believe that curiosity leads to knowledge and from knowledge to caring. When we care, we become connected to one another. And together, we can forge courage to take action in service of the greater good.

What do we offer? 

We offer intergenerational workshops in the three areas of Education, Leadership and Community. By marrying Philosophy with Science and Art, our workshops engender global perspectives, strategic vision, collaboration, business ethics and analytical empathy. The qualities are highly valued by companies in today’s competitive world. As of December 2023, more than 3,500 participants, from the ages of 8 to 94, have participated in our workshops and presentations.

Why is this work important?

Curiosity and courage nourish a sense of belonging. In our increasingly fractured world, we feel it is critically important to understand and be accepted by those with whom we disagree. Our goal is to expand one’s sense of community and acceptance.

We share with, learn from and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome you into our family and our world of work.

Our Executive Director, Soma Roy — M.Sc. Electrical Engineering — is the principal teacher for our workshops along with invited academics from universities and cultural institutions.  Our online activities champion peer to peer learning and individuals from diverse institutions comprise our community of participants. Over the past seven years, more than 2,500 individuals from the ages of 8 to 94, have participated in our workshops and presentations. The primary focal area for our in-person educational offerings is the Chicago Metropolitan region and our collaborators include:

  • Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (formerly Oriental Institute, The University of Chicago)

  • Wrightwood 659

  • GCE Lab School

  • The Newberry

  • The University of Chicago Charter Schools

  • The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago

  • The Field Museum, Chicago

  • Curie High School

  • Haymarket Opera Company

Our workshops — curated with a sense of beauty, sympathy and fun — nurture the deep pleasure of learning and creativity

Workshop : WANDERLUST

Ages (7-10),

Develop an open mind that embraces the diverse wonders of life and the universe.

Subjects include: World Humanities, Biodiversity Conservation

Workshop : REFLECTION

Ages (11 and above)

Develop an acceptance of and comfort with life’s uncertainties and ambiguities

Subjects : Philosophy with Science & Art

Workshop : ENDEAVOR

Ages (15 and above)

Vocational Humanities (manufacturing & entrepreneurship)

Manufacturing & trade competencies (process, cost, quality, resiliency, marketing) undergirded by the Humanities; crafts aided by artificial intelligence (AI)

Workshop : CATALYST

Ages (15 and above)

Strategy thinking & leadership development

Business ethics, risk management & change agility skills, project management, civics

Workshop : HUMAN EFFECTS

Ages (intergenerational)

Holistic healthcare

Brain health (loneliness reshapes the brain) & healing of moral damage

Presentation : CELEBRATION

Ages (intergenerational)

Civic leadership

An expansive sense of kinship and belonging that eases the loneliness prevalent in our fast-paced, social-media world