For the first time at Normal Community High School [NCHS], students will have the chance to participate in presentations on technology, entertainment or design. It’s better known as a TEDTalk.
TEDx events are local, independently organized speaker series inspired by TEDTalks.
The event will take place at the school on Feb. 21, from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Organizer and student Vedha Giriprakash first saw a high school hosting a TEDxYouth event on social media and was inspired to start one herself.
“I thought there’s so many students at Normal Community who are very passionate about different topics and have devoted their time to academics, athletics or community services,” she said. “So, I thought that bringing a TEDx event to [NCHS] would be something that would help students kind of project their ideas and influence other people.”
The theme is “The Light Switch.” Giriprakash and her co-organizer, Arwen Georgas, decided on a theme which demonstrates the motivation of their peers to bring change and innovation.
“Us as teenagers have a lot of ideas for the future,” Giriprakash said. “So, it’s kind of like how to flip the switch on to the next path in the upcoming years.”
Altogether, 10 students are helping to plan the event.
“We worked really well together. I think it just became a really easy event to put together,” said Georgas.
The eight speakers at the February event are all NCHS students, found through an application process started on social media.
“The applicants filled out a form, first talking about their ideas and why they’re passionate about TEDx," Giriprakash said. "And then we also had them make a one-minute video explaining their ideas to see how well they have their thoughts articulated—how well they know about what they’re speaking about and what message that they want to convey.”
Giriprakash said students will not feature visual props in their speeches, so the audience can focus on the content of their talk. Topics include AI and education, finance in economically disadvantaged communities and the neuroscience of clinical depression.
Giriprakash said the speeches are a form of civic engagement for young people at NCHS. She acknowledged the students are presenting themselves to the public in a time of social and political turmoil.
“They’re very brave for coming out about their ideas, and we want them to feel comfortable to express themselves in a way that’s neutral but also impacting and beneficial to our community,” she said.
Jennifer Caldwell, who works in career services at Heartland Community College, is another organizer of the event and a former TEDTalk presenter herself. Caldwell met Giriprakash a few years ago through Toastmasters International, which laid the groundwork to later collaborate at NCHS.
“As an event planner, I have a wealth of experience with the logistical parts. And as a speaker, I’ve been mentored as a speaker. I have seen the production and what goes into it,” said Caldwell. “My role has really been all of those pieces that [students] may not have thought about.”
Caldwell has been able to consult on the rules of TEDx. Those rules include dimensions for posted signage, using the correct branding, timing the speeches and limiting attendance to 100 people.
Despite what experience they may lack, Caldwell said the students working on the event are motivated and working hard.
“Everybody has been doing their part,” she said.
Caldwell said the selected speakers are all experts, even as high schoolers.
“The speakers are going to be dynamic," she said. "They are really good.”
Free tickets for the event are available on its Instagram page.
