Neha Washikar is a Junior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. She has been practicing Indian Classical dance for the past 12 years and can speak 6 languages. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends, paint, and play volleyball. Growing up in the Bay Area, she noticed many children of immigrants did not pay much attention to their parent's culture. Her talk, "The Importance of Biculturalism in a Multicultural World" outlines what it means to have cultural awareness and explains the numerous personal and professional benefits of being bicultural.
Shanlea Tabofunda is 16 and a junior at Cupertino High School. She will be speaking about the psychology behind climate change, discussing the psychological barriers preventing individuals from acting against one of humanity’s most pressing threats. As citizens, we are constantly inundated with statistics that don’t motivate us to change our behavior, but by understanding the science behind our actions, we can ignite a significant change in our own lives.
Samvi Ranka is an 8th grader at Lawson Middle School from Silicon Valley. Generation Z is fortunate enough to be in the midst of the digital and social media revolution. This entire exposure gives them so many opportunities and ideas that could be used towards helping a worthwhile cause and make the world a better place. In Samvi’s speech, “Generation Z making an impact one step at a time," she wants to inspire all her Generation Z people out there who have so many influential ideas. By sharing her journey and experience, she wants all young people out there to be able to take risks that would lead to an applause-worthy product and make the world a better place, one step at a time.
Srutika Sureshbabu is a 15-year-old sophomore at Cupertino High School. She is a captain for the Speech and Debate team and president of the Tino Student Doctors club. Srutika uses these platforms to advocate for students’ well being by propagating a collaborative environment. In her free time, she enjoys doing Indian classical dance as well as binge-reading book series. In “The Bubble of Silicon Valley,” Srutika explains how growing up in Silicon Valley can be a conflicting whirlwind of an experience. With the influence of the tech industries and the competitive spirit, students struggle to find a balance that allows them to prosper.
Aniruddh Suresh is a Junior at Cupertino High School. He enjoys playing percussion, going out mountain biking and playing video games. He’s also an active member of his school’s speech and debate club, competing for and helping run the team. Using personal experiences, along with those of friends and family, he focused his attention to a growing problem in the modern world today. His talk, “Navigating the Social Media Minefield,” focuses on the vulnerabilities that are exploited in order to take advantage of the millions of people who are using social media, and he hopes to provide a greater awareness of how to protect those who could potentially fall victim to such schemes.
This topic can cover anything from STEM to art. Each speaker will deliver a 8-10 minute speech about their topic to foster learning, spark conversation and inspire the members of a more connected community
TEDx has a specific format that must be followed to maintain its high standards. Watch some TEDx videos to better understand this format.
Like a good magazine article, your idea can be new or surprising, or challenge a belief your audience already has. Or it can be a great basic idea with a compelling new argument behind it. An idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.
You do not need to be the world’s foremost expert on the topic, but you do have to be well informed and make sure your idea is backed by reliable data. If you are presenting a call to action, make sure it can be executed by members of your audience.
The TEDxYouth@TorreAvenue team will help you further refine and effectively deliver your idea.
1. All speakers must be (ages 13 to 18)
2. All speakers must be a student enrolled in the FUHSD, LASD, or surrounding areas.
3. Your "Idea Worth Spreading" must be your own and may not address political/religious agendas or directly promote a company, business, or product.
4. You will be required to sign a video release form for TED and Cupertino Library so that your talk may be recorded and uploaded online.
5. You must be willing to meet with a speaking coach and event coordinators before the event for practice, dress rehearsal, etc. Specific dates and times will be determined later and communicated at least a few days in advance.
6. If the organizing committee of TEDxYouth@TorreAve determines that you are not fully prepared to deliver your talk, you may be cut from the team of speakers at any time. This would in no way be a reflection of your abilities, but rather a choice necessary for upholding the TEDx standards.
7. You must be present on the event, Saturday, June 8th.