Bogota April 10, 2024. In order to promote the culture of entrepreneurship in ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students from public and private schools in Bogota and the region, this Thursday, April 11, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce launches the 'Entrepreneurship Program in Schools'.

The initiative, which this year has the support of Grupo Bolivar Davivienda and Johnson & Johnson, will impact 50 schools.

The program aims for the students involved to develop 21st century skills, talents and competencies, such as creativity, leadership, teamwork, autonomy and innovation, which are essential to face the challenges of their academic and social environment, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

Ovidio Claros Polanco, president of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce, stated "we identified the opportunity to develop the skills of future talent from an early age, which will constitute a transforming input with the potential to solve the major problems of society through tools generated through entrepreneurship and innovation".

He also pointed out that thanks to this initiative, fresh ideas originating in the creativity of young people will be fostered and stressed that the program "will cultivate citizens who are convinced that the business sector is an engine for solving challenges and improving communities, and thus contribute to the development of the country's economy".

It should be noted that the 'Entrepreneurship in Schools Program' will leave an installed capacity in the selected institutions, which will strengthen the teaching of entrepreneurship in the classroom.

Last year the program involved 49 schools, nine of which are located in the region (Cogua, Fusagasugá, Gachancipá, Guasca, Soacha, Cajicá, Chía and Ubaté) and impacted 100 teachers and 2,000 students in Bogota and the region.

Design Thinking Methodology

During the eight months of the program, a methodological transfer of Design Thinking is made to the teachers, a process that is carried out in four stages: discovering, devising, acting and communicating.

In turn, the teachers must replicate this methodology in the students so that the latter can solve the entrepreneurial challenges and implement their projects.

Through its consultants and expert operators in entrepreneurship and innovation, the CCB provides face-to-face advice to teachers and students. In these spaces, sessions are held on topics such as ideation, business model, prototyping, pitch, among others, according to the program guidelines.

The 100 best ventures will be able to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Week, an event to be held from November 11 to 15 of this year. This is a scenario in which students will have the opportunity to present their projects before external juries.