"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about"- Margaret J. Wheatley
Education and the impact it has on the community is necessary for progress. Social discussion fuels our desire to enact change. It is the center of movements, protests, and dreams for change. Social discussion encourages like-minded individuals to work together to build innovative solutions to problems locally and worldwide. A central facilitator of community discussion and networking, TED is an organization that helps establish the vital connection between people and ideas that encourage progress and innovation. TEDx events are locally held in communities to continue the mission of TED but on a smaller scale.
Welcome to TEDxYouth@Berwyn, a youth-run TEDx event based in Philadelphia! We are a group of five, passionate, high-school students that have realized the value of access to education and innovation, thus, we want to be that link to our community. Our vision is to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams and encourage them to raise their voices in issues they feel passionate about. The goal of TEDxYouth@Berwyn is to give youth the opportunity to be the instruments of change. We hope to ignite a spark in every attendee, one that motivates them to solve problems they are passionate about. Through one-day conferences, we bring distinguished speakers from around the country to speak on the topic of “Pushing Forward”, our theme for the 2020 year. Ten speakers from various professional backgrounds coming from different parts of the nation to inspire students were scheduled to speak at our conference . Ranging from topics in entrepreneurship to motivation and self-improvement, our speakers cover almost every aspect of change and innovation.
While our mission remains to expand educational resources and discover “ideas worth spreading”, recent times have forced us to find other ways of fulfilling this goal. Due to COVID-19, our scheduled conference in March was postponed to 2021. However, our team is determined to continue making an impact and keeping our community engaged virtually. As a youth organization, we found the best way to make a difference was to collaborate with organizations that are helping the affected aspects of living, including providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), raising money for food banks, and aiding small-businesses. Using social media, we are promoting the work and impact of 6 national organizations, and connecting their efforts to generous members within the society. Uplifting all affected parts of life during quarantine has made us hopeful that our efforts are creating a lasting impact.
While we continue to expand our national impact, our team cares deeply for the local members of our TEDxYouth@Berwyn community. In order to facilitate conversation between individuals and provide a TED-like experience, we have started a virtual series, TEDx Today. Every Wednesday we bring in TEDx speakers and other experts to discuss a variety of topics from education to mental health and creativity. We are working to bring forward interesting perspectives to give people of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to further their knowledge.
While this pandemic has created immeasurable loss, it has brought out one of the best qualities in us: unity. We hope to inspire this unity within our peers through any platform available to us. Though this year did not go as planned, it brought us back to the core values of a TEDx community: education and awareness. Our pivot to helping organizations and individuals impacted by COVID-19 may not be the original picture of a TEDx conference, but it shows that no matter the circumstance, the goal of our TEDx organization is to create an example for future generations.
~Deepthi & Unnati