TED-Ed Weekend events are special gatherings that bring together students from around the world for a chance to take over TED Headquarters in New York City. TED hands over the stage to the world’s youth for inspiring performances, hands-on workshops, and riveting TED Talks delivered by members of TED-Ed’s Student Talks program.

Cool, an event series celebrating students! What should we expect?

TED-Ed Weekends feature an amazing lineup of youth speakers from around the globe. In addition to experiencing great Talks delivered on stage at TED Headquarters, attendees will get a chance to connect with experts, learn valuable new skills, explore ideas that matter, join interactive workshops, and form lasting friendships within the global TED student community.

How are the youth speakers selected?

The TED-Ed Team receives many video submissions of Talks given by members of the Student Talks program. After watching all of the nominated Talks, we invite some students to speak on THE big red circle at TED Headquarters in New York City. So if you have uploaded a Talk to our YouTube Channel, then you have officially applied to be a speaker at TED-Ed Weekend! Check out our Nomination Guidelines to learn more about what we look for when selecting speakers.

When does submission for TED-Ed Weekend close?

Video submissions are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis! Once speakers for an upcoming TED-Ed Weekend are publicly announced, the selection for that TED-Ed Weekend is complete. Any recorded Talks submitted after the announcement (or right before it) will be considered for the following TED-Ed Weekend event.

Awesome! Who can attend and be an audience member?

We built a theater in our office (crazy, right?), but it still has a limited number of seats. Participants within the TED-Ed Student Talks program receive an invitation to apply to join as audience members. After reviewing applications, the TED-Ed team invites select groups to attend in NYC. But if you haven’t been selected to attend in person, fear not! We have various ways you can join remotely (through our livestream or the TED World Theater) and we’ll update you about those remote options before the event!

Who can be a chaperone? How many students can one chaperone supervise?

An adult group leader, group advisor, or parent may be the chaperone for up to 5 students. If students are accepted, parents will receive more details regarding chaperones and guidelines for attendance of the event.

How do we get to New York City? Where do we stay?

TED-Ed Weekends are all-day events and free to attend. However, we cannot provide transportation to and from TED Headquarters in NYC, or lodging for attendees.

Sounds like an amazing opportunity. Can students fundraise to cover transportation and lodging costs for TED-Ed Weekend attendees?

Definitely! Students may need to fundraise to cover travel and lodging costs for TED-Ed Weekend attendees. (The all-day event itself is free to attend, and lunch is provided.) We encourage you to reach out to your principal or school board for advice on funding student opportunities such as TED-Ed Weekends. In addition, DonorsChoose can be a good way to gather fundraising dollars for student enrichment opportunities.

Wonderful! How do I apply to attend the event?

Participants within the TED-Ed Student Talks program receive an invitation to apply for attendance. After reviewing applications, the TED-Ed team invites select groups to attend in NYC. If you would like more information, email us at tededweekends@ted.com.

TED-Ed Weekend events are for students engaging with TED-Ed’s presentation literacy curriculum. Apply now so you don’t miss out on this series of events! To learn more, visit ed.ted.com/student_talks