For the second year in a row, students and community members will enlighten their peers and bring forth new ideas through TEDxYouth at Farmington High School. This year’s theme is Illuminate.
It may sound broad, but that room for interpretation allows the creativity of the participants to shine, which is exactly what advisor and English teacher Cooper Franks is aiming for.
“We always try to choose a theme that’s pretty vague,” Franks said. “It just helps with the designs and everything.”
TEDxYouth is mainly student run, with juniors Ariana Rogers and Ian Gibbens as the lead organizers who supervise the other student contributors, making sure communication is clear. They are also in charge of more essential tasks, such as planning the catering for the event.
“We are in charge of basically the full execution of it,” Gibbens said.
The responsibility that is entrusted to the students provides them with valuable tools, such as confidence and critical thinking, that they will carry into adulthood.
“Those leadership skills are what is going to carry on into future careers,” Gibbens said. “It’s what’s going to make you a good employee.”
TEDxYouth also provides opportunities for students and community members to share their thoughts.
“It gives a good space to communicate intellectual ideas beyond what’s just being discussed in classes,” Gibbens said.
Rogers also aims to tap into the emotional aspect of the event.
“I want people to feel heard,” Rogers said. “Whether that means the person on stage speaking feels heard by the audience, or the people in the audience feel like they’re being seen. Seeing other people find their voice– I’m just so proud of them.”
The event takes many months of planning and effort to come to fruition in one three-hour night.
“It’s like a cicada—they’re underground, and they’re morphing for years, and then they come out of the ground, sing their songs for six months, and then they die,” Rogers said.
Franks believes the TEDxYouth events are beneficial to not only the students involved but the community as well.
“I think the people [who] are in the club get that experience of hosting it and planning this really long event and working with others,” Franks said. “It allows people to share ideas. I think it’s a good cultural thing to have, because we’re so often watching things online, and we never get to go to a live event where people are just sharing ideas. And then afterwards, they kind of come together and just talk with members of their community.”
TEDxYouth will take place Apr. 30. There will be 9 speakers, tickets are $25 with 100 available spots.
TED is a non-profit organization; the events are held by independent groups who are given licenses to organize the presentations. This allows people all over the world to administer their own TED talks and share ideas with their communities.
