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 2024, more than 4,052 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.
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; e.g., The Field Museum of Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Newberry Library, The University of Chicago. Our online activities champion peer to peer learning and individuals from diverse institutions comprise our community of participants. Over the past nine years, more than 4,000 individuals have participated in our workshops and presentations. The primary focal area for our in-person educational offerings is the Chicago Metropolitan region.
Our workshops — curated with a sense of beauty, sympathy and fun — nurture the deep pleasure of learning and creativity
Our workshops and presentation run continuously throughout the year and concentrate on the following three categories :
EDUCATION : Philosophy in conjunction with Science and Art
The workshops, Wanderlust & Reflection, develop curiosity and the courage for self-reflection.
LEADERSHIP : Business ethics aligned with risk management and change agility skills
The workshops, Endeavor & Catalyst, develop competitive skills for innovation — visionary leadership & manufacturing/entrepreneurial capabilities — that help avoid career obsolescence in the AI-based evolving world of work.
COMMUNITY. Mental wellness in this age of social isolation
Human Effects & Celebration address the global epidemic of loneliness and moral damage.
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