Young talent with a drive to grow: the first edition of the Barcelona Talent Accelerator

Following the inaugural session held on 9 May, around fifty students took part over the first weeks of July in the first edition of the Barcelona Talent Accelerator, a fully funded programme aimed at Year 10 pupils (4.º de ESO) with strong academic performance and limited financial resources.

Launched jointly by IQS and Esade, the Barcelona Talent Accelerator was created to identify and nurture young talent from secondary school onwards, removing financial barriers and giving participants a transformative educational experience. The programme focuses on self-awareness, critical thinking, purpose-driven leadership and personal development, and combines in-person bootcamps, summer schools and a mentoring and monitoring scheme running throughout the academic year.

The first of the summer schools took place this July on the Esade and IQS campuses. During the week of 29 June to 3 July, on the Esade Sant Cugat campus, participants took part in workshops on self-awareness, personal growth and creativity led by the institution’s teaching staff. The programme was rounded off with activities linked to social challenges and communication skills.

In the second week, from 6 to 10 July, activities moved to IQS, where teaching staff led sessions focused on social entrepreneurship, teamwork dynamics and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. Participants also worked with various tools and methodologies to help them plan the research project they will need to carry out during their Baccalaureate studies.

Over the ten days of the programme, each day began with practical English sessions, organised by level to suit participants’ prior knowledge. Alongside this, the LEDIU institute ran the debate and discussion sessions built into the programme, encouraging critical reflection and argumentative skills among participants.

Students selected for this first edition came from a wide range of schools across Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, both state and state-subsidised private (“concertados”). Participants came from the schools Adela de Trenquelleon (Barcelona), Martí (Terrassa), Diocesano Sagrada Familia (Tortosa), Mare de Déu del Carme (Terrassa) and l’Arboç (El Vendrell); from Ana Mogas (Granollers), La Vall (Bellaterra) and Virolai (Barcelona); as well as from the secondary schools Angeleta Ferrer i Sensat (Sant Cugat del Vallès), Turó d’en Caritg (Badalona), Binissalem (Mallorca), Escola Industrial (Sabadell), Ferran Casablancas (Sabadell), Joan Brudieu (La Seu d’Urgell), Andreu Nin (El Vendrell), Baix Montseny (Sant Celoni), Bellvitge (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), Camí de Mar (Calafell), Montserrat Roig (Terrassa), Teresa Pàmies (Barcelona) and XXV Olimpíada (Barcelona). Students from Jesuïtes Bellvitge, Jesuïtes Casp, Jesuïtes El Clot and Xaloc also took part.

The Barcelona Talent Accelerator is a joint initiative between IQS and Esade that brings together the expertise, teaching methods and resources of both institutions to offer a distinctive educational experience. The programme gives participants a broad, transformative view of university-level learning and helps build pathways of opportunity for talented, high-potential young people.

This partnership reinforces an educational model built on academic excellence, personal support and social commitment, while demonstrating both institutions’ commitment to actively contributing to the educational and social development of the region.