EDUDOWN

TAKING ON STIGMAS IN SANTIAGO

All across the globe, young adults living with Down syndrome face significant employment challenges. Key barriers include employer-held stigmas, misconceptions about productivity and a lack of tailored training. While this is a worldwide problem, a grassroots nonprofit based in Santiago is doing something about it throughout Chile.

Founded in 2000, Edudown offers free services to children, adolescents and young adults as part of its ongoing mission to challenge and transform misunderstanding and inherited prejudices surrounding Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities. Today, Edudown provides free support to over 900 families across Chile, and specialized attention from trained professionals with a personalized approach that focuses on the potential of each child. The mission of Edudown is to promote development, autonomy and well-being for individuals and their families.

Recognizing this proven track record, AKP is backing Edudown’s collaboration with Santiago’s Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, widely regarded as one of the best museums of its kind in Latin America. In this partnership, Edudown manages a museum café staffed by individuals with intellectual disabilities. The organization trains some 60 young people annually to help with the café’s food preparation, with another dozen program participants trained to work the counter.

Through this project, AKP aims to create a meaningful synergy between tourism and social impact, emphasizing the importance of work inclusion while supporting the personal and professional development of the young adults at Edudown. Looking to the future, AKP and Edudown plan to grow their impact by collaborating on other initiatives focused on helping these individuals thrive.