Surprising things made out of jumbo dung…
The TEDxCoimbatore name tags. Wanting to produce badges that were both eco-friendly and useful, the team at TEDxCoimbatore turned to an interesting material — elephant dung.
Registration begins at TEDxCoimbatore
Laced with plant seeds, the tags (and speaker profiles!) were made in a way that made them perfect for re-use: a paper of bleached elephant dung, that when placed in soil and watered, sprouts flowers.
“Most often, handouts at fairs and name tags are disposed of,” said the designer of the name tags in an interview with The Times of India. “We wanted to show that they can be put to better use.”
No word yet on how they smelled, but we’re guessing the bleach took care of that.
Happy 4th Birthday, TEDx! Looks like you can have your cake and eat it, too.
TEDxSamsung celebrates TEDx’s fourth
TEDx is now 4! This past Saturday, March 23, TEDx celebrated this milestone with a global birthday party, convened by TEDx organizers, volunteers, and fans worldwide. There were cakes, candles, wishes and even a kite or two — all paired with enough enthusiasm to last another 4 years and beyond.
With 6,417 events in 149 countries and 1,777 cities over the past 4 years, and now over 25,000 talks online, the TEDx program would be nothing without its ever-expanding network of dedicated and hard-working volunteers.
So, take a moment and toast them and 4 years of TEDx with a selection of favorite sweet treats from TEDx’s 4th:
TEDxGolfLinksPark in Bangalore, India made TEDx a very impressive birthday cake — with sprinkles!
Team members of TEDxYouth@Chennai in India have fun completing the sentence, “A dream of mine that I commit to making real is…” for TEDxYouthDay 2012, “Dream Big…Then Do It!”
To finish the question yourself, download the official TEDxYouthDay sign and take a picture of yourself holding it for the world to see!
TEDxYouthDay 2012: TEDx’s tribute to youth-driven innovation, inspiration, and ideas
This year marks the third anniversary of TEDxYouthDay, a series of TEDx events designed to empower and inspire youth and kids worldwide, coinciding with Universal Children’s Day in late November.
TEDxYouthDay events vary widely in size, format, and theme, but share a common vision: inspiring curiosity, igniting new ideas, and empowering leaders in the youth of today. This year, TEDxYouthDay will take place on a weekend—from Saturday, November 17 to Sunday, November 18, 2012.
Nearly 100 TEDxYouthDay events will take place during the weekend, including events in Tokyo, Baghdad, London, Venice, Belgrade, and New York. This year’s theme is “Dream big…then do it!” and youth around the world will sure to be sharing their big ideas for a better world.
At TEDxYouth@SanDiego in California, organizer Sonia Rhodes looks forward to an event that will have an impact on local youth, an impact she hopes will echo worldwide. “The importance of lighting a spark of possibility for our youth resonated for me immediately,” she said. “I believe that through the power of ideas and the belief that anything is possible, the young people of San Diego and the world [can] create the future we’re hoping for.”
This year, the TEDxYouth@SanDiego team has opened up 50 spaces on the team for youth members, and these youth team members are doing everything from creating video invitations to potential speakers, to creating the event website.
In The Netherlands, TEDxYouthDay events have created a country-wide bond. “Some of our team members are young (between ages 17 and 23),” said organizer of TEDxYouth@Brabantlaan Marielle Hornstra, “and two of them have spoken at other TEDx events in The Netherlands.
“There is so much energy in our team,” she said. “It is exciting to be part of it.”
In Dubai, TEDxYouth@Dubai has evolved from 4 years of the city’s standard TEDx event. “We are inviting 10 students, representing 50 to 60 schools in Dubai,” organizers said, “hoping to [encourage] them to have their own Youth event next year.”
The unfolding story of TEDxYouthDay will be documented by designated Youth Day Event Reporters: volunteers from countries across the globe, committed to reporting on Youth Day stories, from behind-the-scenes action at events to impressions of the big day.
These stories will be spread across the web, with coverage on the TEDxYouthDay website, Facebook, Twitter, and on Tumblr— allowing youth in communities from all over to learn from one another, and leaders of the future to gain from this outpouring of new ideas and worldwide calls to action.
Coinciding with these events will be TEDYouth—a day-long event for high school students filled with live speakers, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and an opportunity for the youth attendees and speakers to connect. Held annually in New York City, TEDYouth will also be broadcasted live online for viewers worldwide.
With so many youth worldwide coming together to celebrate the passion, ideas, and drive of their generation and others soon to come, visions of the future they will create TEDxYouthDay is sure to be a day marked by visions of the future they will create
For more information on TEDxYouthDay and to see a complete list of TEDxYouthDay events, visit the TEDxYouthDay website here.
Follow TEDxYouthDay on Twitter.
Like TEDxYouthDay on Facebook.
