TEDxYouthDay Youth Reporter Katarzyna J. Biniek, on the live webcast of TEDxYouth@ISB in Belgrade:
Two days of exciting and passionate talks and discussions centered around youth across the globe – it can only happen on TEDxYouthDay.
This year, for the first time in my life, I actively participated in TEDxYouthDay as a youth reporter. It was an amazing adventure that enriched me as a person and motivated me to dare for more. I am glad that through my live reporting I could spread all of these great ideas and examples that TEDxYouthDay speakers shared with us.
For my TEDxYouthDay experience, I chose to follow TEDxYouth@ISB in Serbia, which was streamed live on the Internet. During the day, I listened to seven exciting talks addressing the central theme of the event: “From imagination to creation.” I learned that it is not always easy to fulfill your dreams, but it is definitely worth it to try, even though those around you might say that your dreams are impossible or crazy.
I cannot wait for next year’s TEDxYouthDay, because like many other young people I need inspiration and the push to be braver and to think big without restrictions.
In Akure, Nigeria this TEDxYouthDay, TEDxKids@Akure brought together children between the ages of 5-12 to celebrate the future they will create in their home country and across the world.
Event organizer Joel Ogunsola praised the ingenuity and boldness of the youth speakers, including one young speaker, Feyisayo Anjorin, who spoke on the importance of backing up your dreams with action. Joel described Feyisayo’s message as a call for young dreamers to remember that, “coupled with [your dreams], you must possess passion, belief, preparation, practice, focus, perseverance and the ability to learn.”
Other speakers included a computer programmer who called for kids to set their goals high, and an educator determined to change world education.
Between speakers, TEDxKids@Akure featured technology demos, an art exhibition of works by local youth, and a spelling bee.
“All in all,” said Joel, “the event created awareness in the young minds their ability to do whatever they set their minds to achieve.”
A look back at TEDxYouthDay 2012: Instagram user unbelieva contributes to the “Dream Big…Then Do It!” photo campaign by completing the sentence, “A dream of mine that I commit to making real is…”
To see more dreams shared this November from youth around the world, visit the TEDxYouthDay website.
When we began promoting the idea last spring to our students that they could give their own TEDx talks at our TEDxYouthDay event, we worried that no students would be interested or willing enough to give it a shot. But we were committed to filling our event with only youth speakers, so when we received seven virtual auditions from two middle and five upper school students this November, we were elated.
The ideas of those seven students, coupled with the three TED/TEDx videos we chose to screen at our event, built a powerful “Dream Big…Then Do It” program. The students really are the heart of our story. They worked on their own to craft their ideas and then trusted their mentors to help them shape their dreams into powerful talks. The honesty, compassion, creativity, and bravery these students spoke about, left our 90-member audience inspired — enough to make this first foray into TEDx a success.
—From Melissa Scott, organizer of TEDxYouth@FHS at Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia — part of TEDxYouthDay this November.
