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💀 The Crisis That No One Is Talking About…
Published 22 days ago • 3 min read
If you’ve been following OCE on IG or TikTok (which you should), you’ve probably seen the shocking graph reporting pessimism among US high school seniors at an all-time high.
Youth happiness is in decline due to a combination of social, economic, technological and ecological pressures. Source- WSJ
We now live in a world where teenagers experiences "midlife crisis" before adulthood; a time when young people, historically beacons of optimism, report lower happiness than their elders. It's absolutely wild.
And it all started in 2020.
A pandemic and a series of trials over the coming years would forever alter our lives.
We survived:
shutdowns
business closures
market crashes
riots
political upheavals
massive layoffs
Not to mention advancements in AI technology and world events at a rate few expected.
2020 was also the year we started Open Classroom Experience. Now, there are thousands of you in the community.
We had an inkling that the youth of this generation would need some guidance, support and more importantly critical thinking. But we had no idea that now, in the year 2024, our core mission of bridging cultures through driving youth innovation would ring so true.
But that’s the thing about missions—they ripple.
They tend to stretch beyond what one could imagine.
And that’s exactly what’s happening.
But FIRST
If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:
We saw what was happening in the world and realized we all needed one thing: Agency. We needed to have agency in order to create the world we want to see, and the lives we want to lead.
So, we set out to create future leaders and changemakers. We aimed to create a generation of purpose driven innovators so that our future wouldn’t be filled with dead-end jobs and hate…
...but instead, be filled with boundless opportunities and hope.
We realized that as the world got more volatile, it would be critical to have more purpose driven leaders—who actually have a stake in building, not tearing down.
We wanted to push back on the reality that:
Young people feel disconnected from a supportive community and experience a lack of deep, meaningful connections
Young people face a steeper climb to prosperity as AI advancement makes job security a thing of the past
Young people inherit a world beset with environmental challenges
Amongst all this tragedy there was, as there always is, opportunity. A lot of it.
The opportunity to build, to innovate, and to create businesses by tackling pressing challenges in your community and beyond.
What if the world needs you to think globally, act locally?
4 biggest hurdles to achieving agency
Knowledge on how to start and build a purposeful business.
Network of influential leaders who would vie for your success.
Opportunity to gain domain knowledge and translate theory into practice.
Having a community to leverage their collective resources.
So we set out to solve each of these problems.
DON’T KNOW HOW TO START AND BUILD A BUSINESS?
Weekly live workshop by Silicon Valley tech leaders and founders to share their framework and strategy.
DON’T HAVE RELEVENT EXPERIENCE?
Co-create with world-class founders tackling pressing global issues in regions where it is needed the most.
We created the innovation program we wish we had taken when we were in school.
Now, we are taking on what everyone thinks is their biggest issue.
“Tell me how to start a biz now!”
This is hands-down the most common question I get.
Usually, I’d say people think they have a brilliant idea (which you may) but lacks knowledge on how to execute.
You naturally launch your idea when you really know what makes an idea viable, what is the best model for your skillset, the best way to drive sales and adoption, how to form strategic partnerships, etc.
It’s what we call the 4 steps to the founder’s journey.
Our mission by the end of 2024: equip youth with the competency and network to create the change they want to see – AGENCY.
You tell us what else you’re missing now. Let’s see if we can fix it.
Ready to join us?
PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions where it is needed the most. Want in?
We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders. Check out our info session recording.
Higher Education, like it or hate it, you are going to need one and it’s not cheap. That’s because today, I’m talking student loans. You might have taken out one, or are planning to take out one but do you know how it actually works? And how it can also be an incredibly lucrative way of generating profit and make a positive impact? Ironically, the school doesn't teach you this but we'll give you a run-down of it today. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for...
It’s always the things you overlook We’ve all been fooled by it at least once…Shiny Object Syndrome. Every now and then, we are tempted by the glamorous stuff around us such as jobs and businesses. We choose our careers and biz to build based on how “glamorous” they look on IG. I should know…I made that mistake, too. My first idea of a possible business was in the fancy world of fashion and ecommerce – hence my decision to join Walmart Ecommerce in their fashion division after graduation....
Hey Changemakers, Today marks 4 years since the wrap up of our inaugural OCE cohort. And boy oh boy has there been a lot of learning these last 4 years for me. Starting OCE, property management biz, and on a mission to bridging cultures. It has me thinking often about leadership… So today, allow me to share my reflection on the leadership lessons I most wish I could pass on to the 17-year-old Lena. And PS: 2024 cohort application is due end of this month, apply here ASAP so you don't miss...
