Cows can fly

Last March 2024, the ZUR_EKIN project (which means “with you” in Basque) was presented in the auditorium of the Bilbao campus of the University of Deusto (UD). It is a mentoring program aimed at accompanying and developing gifted students in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, in which professors from different faculties of the UD (Law, Engineering, Deusto Business School, Education and Sports, Social and Human Sciences) mentor the students.

It is run and managed by the Unit of Support for the Development of High Intellectual Abilities, which is part of the Faculty of Education and Sport of the UD, in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Basque Government. My “good luck” this year, among others, has been to have the privilege of being part of this Unit (in which we have worked, and a lot). Although I have not been in direct contact with the students and teachers of the project, as a Unit, we have developed several lines and tasks of research that we consider very necessary to provide a quality educational response to this type of students.

In this first edition of the pioneer project in the Basque Autonomous Community, around thirty students from different schools have participated. On June 12, 2024 they presented, in a closing session of this edition, the projects they have carried out accompanied by their mentors.

Unfortunately, I could not attend the first part of the event, but I was able to enjoy many of the presentations made by the students in the second part, as well as the round table in which students and teachers participated.

It is great that, finally, visibility is given and work is being done for and with this type of students!

We know that there are things to improve, because nobody is perfect, but today I want to focus on the positive aspects of the June 12 session (we will leave the improvements to work on them). This time, this post is for the gifted students. Their presentations have been very diverse, from projects based on cows that can fly or cows that listen to music to produce better quality milk, to entrepreneurial projects based on the interests of young people or companies that bet on social economy and integrated social value.

I would like to highlight some of the characteristics of this group of young people, who have had the courage to face an audience of students, teachers and families who are very proud of them and the opportunity they have seized:

  • Involvement
  • Effort
  • Collaboration
  • Peer learning
  • Listening
  • Trust
  • Very positive attitude
  • Appreciation
  • Desire for more (to know, to learn, to work, to learn about new topics)
  • Extra-curiosity
  • Enjoyment
  • Ability to communicate orally
  • Desire for freedom of expression and to ask questions to learn

The challenges they have worked on, besides satisfying many of their varied interests, have opened their minds even more, have allowed them to open up to new possibilities in an uncertain future for some of them, and have allowed them to demonstrate that they are very capable of solving problems in a creative way and even using totally unknown tools that, at the beginning, are used in very advanced educational courses compared to the ones they are in right now.

Congratulations for your achievements and thank you for teaching us. I am sure that what you showed us a few days ago is only the beginning of your path to success.

Enjoy July.

Entrepreneurship on Thursdays

it is true. I haven’t written for some weeks now, with the summer in between, but, this time, with more than enough reason not to do it. I admit that writing about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs is one of the “things” that I am most proud of.

These days I have met soooo many entrepreneurs: former participants of the Ingenio program (there they are, demonstrating their talents); people who are starting their businesses (with dreams that are starting to come true); people who are taking a somersault at a decisive moment in their lives and who have decided to do it NOW (they are not lacking in courage); people responsible for very beautiful and successful entrepreneurial projects; entrepreneurs who, at last, are starting their businesses (with dreams that are starting to come true); entrepreneurs who, at last, are beginning to reap their fruits (they have been taking care of and observing their “proposals” with great affection); in short, many entrepreneurs who, every time I saw them, reminded me how much can be done and achieved if we make an effort and fight for it. (more…)

Dispelling the myth about social entrepreneurhsip

Today’s post was not this one, but I admit that, by chance, while I was looking for information for “the post I was writing”, I came across a video that I liked. It could not be otherwise, I confess. I have a special affection for Ashoka. The video I am sharing with you today seems very clear and direct.

What do I like about this video? Above all, I like the fact that Maite Arango y Alexandra Mitjans, two women from different generations of Ashoka, talk about social entrepreneurship. Among the keywords of their conversation, I share with you the following:

  • Work
  • Challenges
  • Solutions
  • Innovation
  • Initiatives
  • Impacts
  • Contribution
  • Legacy
  • Technology
  • Humanity
  • Ethic
  • Education
  • Awareness
  • Commitment
  • Empathy
  • Sustainability
  • Conviction
  • Collaboration (intergenerational, institutional, organizational, corporate, global, international, etc.)

¿What is your main option? Difficult, right?

Thanks, Ashoka, for your daily work.

I will be back in two weeks. Enjoy June.

When passion becomes art

It was about time, right? That’s what we thought and said as soon as we saw each other. A few days ago, the two of us agreed on the fact that “enough” time had passed since we first met on Instagram many years ago.

The most important thing is that, finally, on the 18th of January 2021 we saw each other and we talked. And, by the way, what a nice and productive time!

She is Yolanda Triguero, or Yoli, because in this case, her name is not that important. If you still don’t know what she does for a living and the works of art she makes, I encourage you to read this post. (more…)