Budo Accelerator uses the martial art of Aikido to elevate our youth, strengthen our communities, and forge a new generation of leaders equipped to face the great challenges of our time.
Our Programs
Our Leadership Academy
In Spring 2020, Budo Accelerator initiated a major pivot. We knew the pandemic would prevent us from running programs the way we’d envisioned, but young people needed help more than ever. We committed to operating fully online programs throughout the year. In less than 2 months, we designed an online leadership program with 36 hours of structured curriculum. It was used to run programs throughout the summer, fall and winter of 2020.
Students came together from coast to coast- some with years of martial arts experience, some with none. Nearly 40% of students came from under-resourced families. Some will be the first in their families to go to college.
They forged new bonds of friendships, trained with world-class martial arts instructors, developed leadership skills, and connected with mentors and advisors around the globe- all in the midst of a global pandemic.
2021 Programs
We’re off to a great start with our 2021 programs. In partnership with a small group of dojos, we’ve launched our Spring Academy, attended by over 50 students from around North America. We’re tuning our online programs for scale, impact, and engagement.
We’re partnering with the Irvine Public Schools Foundation to offer in-person programs this summer in our local region, and we have a number of in-person, online, and hybrid programs in development for later this year.
Impact
94% of students demonstrate gains in creativity and innovation.
88% of students demonstrate gains in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
82% of students demonstrate gains in collaboration and goal orientation.
88% of students develop good or great knowledge in public speaking, time management, and job interest exploration.
88% received encouragement to work through difficult problems.
82% received the opportunity to engage with people who are different from themselves.
Our Students
100% rate our programs as very good or excellent
88% make new friends
83% would strongly recommend to a friend
Nevaditaa, Freemont, CA
“My parents weren’t born in America so our family doesn’t have the kind of network some others do. As someone interested in a career in medicine and medical research, I’ve been able to connect with recent med-school grads, and a veteran research scientist who ran programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Without Budo Accelerator, I never would have had the opportunity to meet and get support from these people.”
Matthew, Chandler, AZ
“I’ve moved around 9 times in my life, so I’ve met a lot of people. But at Budo Accelerator I’m part of a global community with an amazing group of mentors. My dream is to go to West Point and become a military police officer. At Budo Accelerator, I’ve been mentored by a law enforcement consultant, but also by a black educator who has been part of the protest movement in Minneapolis, so I can understand both perspectives. I also got connected with a West Point grad who is now a Brigadier General. He’s helping me prepare to apply to West Point. ”
Juliana, Lake Forest, CA
“At first, I was very shy towards the other students and mentors. But after interacting with them more everyday, I grew to know everyone. We all have similarities but are very different in skill sets, connections, culture, and hobbies. I was able to find a new community that welcomed my desire to learn and grow as a person. Because of the confidence I gained in the program, I’m now the co-captain of my school dance team.”
The Year Ahead
Make No Small Plans
2020 was our first full year of operations and we launched directly into the pandemic. We accelerated our plans for online programs and worked with nearly 30 students who taught us as much as we taught them. We honed our vision, ran experiments to test our most important assumptions, and adapted and grew our capabilities.
In 2021, we’ll support 100-200 students from around North America with a goal of designing and testing programs that can scale to reach 1,000 or more students next year.
As we exit the pandemic, young people are facing unprecedented challenges- mental health epidemics, growing inequality, and the lowest levels of emotional resilience measured in any generation.
We believe we can make a difference in young people’s lives by combining authentic martial arts training with modern learning science, technology, and mentorship. And we’ll partner with aikido dojos around North America to bring a new generation of youth into communities that provide belonging, challenge, and opportunity.
We have big plans and need your help.