Xixi Wang

What if your summer could change how you see yourself, and how the world hears you?

For over a decade, TED-Ed has helped hundreds of thousands of students around the world find their voices, passion, and confidence with TED-Ed Student Talks. Now, in partnership with the renowned organization Immerse Education, TED is offering a more intensive opportunity for students to discover, shape, and share their best ideas under the guidance of expert tutors over the summer.

TED Summer School is a transformative two-week summer program for motivated students aged 15 to 18, with each participant building confidence, storytelling mastery, and leadership skills through core theory and practical sessions, guest speaker events, as well as personal coaching. Students have the option of participating either in-person in London, New York, or Singapore, or 100% remotely through the virtual program. Both the in-person and virtual programs include live, small group instruction with professional TED-trained tutors helping students work on their ideas.

At TED Summer School, students will learn to shape their ideas and deliver them with clarity, confidence, and presence, culminating in each student presenting their TED-style talk. The program experience combines TED-Ed’s credibility, inspiration, and global reach with Immerse’s expertise in delivering high-quality academic enrichment programs. It empowers students to become thoughtful, articulate communicators who understand the power of their own voice.

Immerse Education: London

Why should you participate?

TED Summer School guides students through a structured, transformative journey to identify, develop, and then share their ideas in a TED-style talk. Over two weeks, students will:

1. Learn directly from TED-trained tutors who help students develop communication skills, storytelling expertise, and confidence to express their ideas with clarity and purpose.

2. Collaborate alongside and learn from peers from around the globe. Students will engage with each other through every stage of their talk development journey: from developing their big idea to stepping onto the stage with confidence.

3. Deliver their TED-style talk at the end of the two-week program and receive a recorded version to take home.

4. Earn a TED Summer School certificate of completion to add to personal accomplishments and portfolios.

You can learn more about the unique opportunities provided by TED Summer School here, and explore the financial and merit-based scholarships here.

Explore TED Summer School!

Immerse Education students

ABOUT IMMERSE EDUCATION

Immerse Education helps ambitious high-school students explore future university and career paths through personalized, transformative learning experiences. Rooted in the teaching traditions of Oxford and Cambridge, Immerse Education’s model brings expert tuition, small-group learning, and practical project work to campuses around the world and to their online programs. They create space for young people to build confidence, develop independence, and produce work they can proudly share as they shape their next steps

Winston Thomas

Ideas change everything —  and since language lets us share our ideas, learning how to use it well gives speakers the power to inspire people and even change how they think.

To help young people develop these skills and practice their public speaking, TED-Ed has created an exciting new video series! Public Speaking 101 is an 11-episode course that will teach you how to identify, develop, and share your best ideas, while mastering essential communication skills along the way. This course is great to use in classroom settings, for parents looking to guide their children on presentation and public speaking skills, or for independent learners who work best at their own pace.

How Public Speaking 101 works

The course guides you in developing your own TED-style talk through a progression of videos. Each episode focuses on an integral part of giving an engaging, memorable, and transformative talk. This ranges from strategies to uncover your best ideas, to choosing your presentation style, connecting with an audience, developing body language, and more.

The course uses excerpts from past TED speakers to highlight key ideas and prompts, and to offer a deeper understanding of what makes a talk meaningful to an audience. Each episode also comes with supporting resources and materials for further learning. This includes multiple choice questions that review the content of the episode, writing and brainstorming exercises, and a vocabulary list.

Here are the first 6 episodes of the course, with more to come by the end of 2025:

Episode 1: What happens when you share an idea?

Learn how to identify the qualities that make an idea worth sharing with an audience.

Episode 2: How to uncover your best ideas

Uncover your best ideas by exploring your unique experiences, interests, and perspective.

Episode 3: How to communicate clearly

Discover how to put together the throughline, or main idea that acts as a connective thread or roadmap for your presentation.

Episode 4: What’s the best way to give a presentation?

Decide on a presentation plan that makes you feel prepared to communicate an idea to an audience confidently and passionately.

Episode 5: How to speak with meaning

Learn to develop your voice and body language so that you are conveying meaning authentically, confidently, and comfortably.

Episode 6: 5 ways to connect with people

Find a way to build trust, interest, and a connection with your audience so that they will be open to what you have to say.

For educators looking to support students in building public speaking and communication skills in the classroom, check out TED-Ed Student Talks. This program provides free, customizable activities for educators to guide their students in identifying, developing, and sharing their ideas with each other and the world. You can find a sample of the Student Talks curriculum and more information here.

Watch the episodes and check out the course materials here, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the latest installments!

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Priyanka Behl, an educator at the Empower Kids Personality School.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager, Sasha Rudenko, about integrating Student Talks into their after-school programs, the impact the program has had on their community, and how they used TEDx to host their speaker events to reach wider online audiences:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us about your school, your role, and your students.    

Priyanka Behl (PB): Empower Kids Personality School is a community school that brings together children from across 36 schools to work together in after-school programs. We also support NGO schools with the Each One Teach One program, where our students spend one weekend educating those who don’t have formal school education and are studying as part of an NGO. The whole idea is to bring resourcefulness to the resourceless, and that’s how Empower Kids has been working — more like a community initiative. TED-Ed has helped us bring this community even closer.

SR: How did you implement the Student Talks program into your school? How did it fit into what you were already doing there?

PB: We use TED-Ed as part of our skill-building after-school program. We have volunteers who help the underprivileged children who don’t have access to formal education and therefore will lack opportunities later in life, such as getting better jobs. We try to help them hone their communication skills, and I try to help them bridge the education gap so they are more employable and can potentially be pulled above the poverty line. While working with the Student Talks program, we realized that beyond communication skills, there were other gaps and things missing in their education. Gender inclusivity was missing; we realized how the younger children were vulnerable and unsure of who to talk to. We saw there were also gaps in knowledge about caste issues, socialism, racism and bias, which we had never talked about. We started with just a small group, and it was a great forum to listen, share their voices, and create an impact in the community by talking about these issues.

“It’s about you finding the voice that can change the narrative. It’s finding ideas that can create impact in your local community.”

SR: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading Student Talks, what would you highlight?

PB: We had birthday parties which had a lot of balloons, party poppers,  plastic plates, and all those kinds of things being used. Then, one of the students shared a talk about how unsustainable this is and the impact it has. So, we started using wheat cutlery instead of plastic. And this was largely implemented in all of the students’ 36 schools. Imagine the impact of that! They stopped using plastic cutlery and plates, and replaced it with wheat cutlery. At our events, as well, we use wheat cutlery every time. Outside of school, a big impact of this was in the landfills. Cows in India were dying because they would eat all the plastic out of the landfill that had leftover food on it. But with it being made from wheat, it was harmless for them to eat. And in our community, the cow is a holy animal, and we were able to impact the health of cows through one talk shared. I felt this was truly remarkable.

A student speaks at the TEDx event

SR: What skills have you observed improving the most as your students go through the Student Talks activities?

PB: The number one skill that they learned was leadership. Not only were they willing to be adaptable themselves, but they stepped up and helped others in the group and in the community. The number two skill would be research. When they started researching their topics, we started to see the understanding of how important it was across the board. It gave them a lot of experience finding studies, documents, and research papers, and really helped broaden their horizons for finding information. And the number three skill would have to be communication. They learned great oratory, presentation, and self-expression skills. And the workbook journal helped teach how to give better feedback and constructive feedback that really helped them improve their communication.

SR: As a facilitator, what has been the most challenging part about implementing Student Talks? And how did you overcome it?

PB: Our first challenge was to plan the first event. When you have an event, you have to think of everything from the technical list like cameras and soundproofing, and then logistically how do we get the funds to host the [TEDxYouth] event. I found it challenging for the first event to deal with the cost, and not knowing how to sell tickets or who to reach out to for a guest list. We didn’t know how to bring the right resources to the right place. But then we got a lot of great support from the TED team, and after that our second event ran much more smoothly. And we continue to learn with each event; everyone involved can teach you so much and help you evolve as a person. I’ve seen a transition in myself through building these events, and it’s related to accountability. It feels like you have been given something with a lot of trust, and you are accountable to bring forth these young voices who don’t usually have a platform to share. So I’ve evolved as a person as well.

[Editor’s note: Priyanka holds a TEDx license to host her school events. TED-Ed Student Showcases do not require tickets or funding].

A student speaks at the TEDx event

SR: So, hosting an event was your goal and something you wanted to do for your community, and you even applied for a TEDx license to host it. How did you find that it helped your mission to focus on hosting a culminating speaker event?

PB: Given that our event would be just for young people— the students— we were thinking of the potential audience for them. We wanted their talks to be seen by the change-makers, the decision-makers, and these young voices would not reach those people unless their videos were put out on a bigger forum. The TED-Ed Student Talk video selection process can take a long time, and so with hosting a TEDx event, the YouTube video links come faster. So their videos would reach more people sooner. We were thinking not only of the physical audience at the event but those online who can just listen and connect with it. I felt that TEDx gave us more access to reach a larger audience, and much sooner after the event.

“[Student Talks] is for anyone who is willing to help young voices who feel they have no forum, feel small, or that they have no impact. TED-Ed can lend you that.”

SR: What words of wisdom would you share with somebody who is thinking of becoming a Student Talks facilitator?

PB: This journey can be overwhelming, [but] if you are passionate about ideas, I think this is for you. I’ve been watching TED videos for years, and they turned out to be a perspective-shifter. So I’ve had that passion for ideas from the beginning. If you have that passion, and you want to bring ideas forward and create impact, I think this is a great forum for you. It’s not about you being a hero, it’s about you finding the voice that can change the narrative. It’s finding ideas that can create impact in your local community. It’s for anyone who is willing to help young voices who feel they have no forum, feel small, or that they have no impact, TED-Ed can lend you that. It’s a whole exploration of self-realization that comes with the idea journey. The self-exploration of why their idea matters, what impact is it going to create, how can it change the narrative— it’s something that connects and bridges the gap.

SR: Are there any tips you have after working with your students through the activities about helping them find their idea, their writing, or their research?

PB: I think the best thing that I find is giving them the space to explore. The first task we give them is to create a list of the things that they love. And on the other side, a list of things that they hate. Then we start with talking about one of the things that they hate and why. From there, they usually pick a topic from their “things they hate” list, because if you don’t like something that is happening in your community or life, then you want to talk about it and how to change it. That’s how our idea exploration begins. And it starts with a small group who don’t know each other, but eventually come to be helping each other explore their ideas, and sharing their thoughts. I think it helps them build a little community where they can be more vocal about how they truly feel. As a facilitator, seeing how much they have to share makes me feel like a student again. The ideas sometimes just blow my mind. They have such new perspectives to share, and while we think we’re facilitating, we’re actually learning in that process too.

TEDxYouth event

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Laura Tudose, an ESL teacher at a bilingual high school in Romania and Student Talks facilitator for over 7 years.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Senior Community Manager, Peter Maccario, about her years as a facilitator, the lasting community the group creates, and the importance of letting students take ownership of their learning experience:

Peter Maccario (PM): Tell us about your school and your role there.

Laura Tudose (LT): Miguel de Cervantes Bilingual High School is a Spanish bilingual theoretical high school in Bucharest, Romania. Our students study Spanish as a first foreign language and then English. My role here is that of an English teacher. I teach English mainly to high school students, and coordinate the TED-Ed Student Talks group with my fellow teachers.

PM: Can you tell us about the students that attend your school and make up the Student Talks group?

LT: The TED-Ed group is a way for students to express themselves more. We have other after-school clubs in our high school but this one is more appealing to them. Every year we have students coming to our group, and more than 80 or 90% of them don’t leave the group. Even if they graduated, they are still coming to our meetings from time to time. They made friends, and they like sharing ideas, talking about a subject that they are interested in as opposed to, for example, the debate club. It’s more personalized. We always try to emphasize that we never know what the outcome will be at the end of the school year, and it’s up to them to get involved in the meetings. We encourage the students to be the leaders of the meetings and to get involved. We, the facilitators, don’t tell them, “do this” or “do that,” unless they need some help. Some come to overcome their shyness, or they are introverted people trying to find friends in a warm environment. We don’t judge them. The Romanian system can be a little bit rigid, so our club is trying to get them out of that formality of a class.

Cervantes participants getting their certificates

PM: How did you implement TED-Ed Student Talks into the school? Did it feel like it fit already within what you do, or did you have to adapt?

LT: We were familiar with TED Talks; we used them in English class. Then we learned about TED-Ed Student Talks back in 2017 and our principal was very open to new ideas. We had a group of students who knew about TED Talks, and the Student Talks was a way to take it a step further. So we started with those students, and we had no idea what to expect or how it would evolve. We are in a more rigid educational system, so it’s not easy to make students get out of that format of being told what to do, and we also had to learn how to communicate better as facilitators.

“It’s up to them to get involved in the meetings. We encourage the students to be the leaders of the meetings and to get involved.”

PM: Do you have a stand-out moment of your time leading the Student Talks program that you’d like to highlight?

LT: I always think of one TED-Ed talk in particular. It was with my first generation of students in the group, and delivered by a student who was, and is still, passionate about the environment. She spoke about an extinct species, the blue parrot. I remember this talk because I truly believe that it was something that defined the student. It’s been many years and she is still an activist. So, she’s followed this passion and it’s also become her job. Another highlight is that we have a special place in Bucharest — a cafe we go to. We extend the invitation to current students and our graduates, and they keep coming!

Program participants

PM: What skills have you seen your students improve the most going through these activities and the program?

LT: First it’s the communication skills. Specifically, the skills that they need to be open when communicating ideas and giving feedback. Not being afraid to speak up or speak their minds. I see this with every group — some are shy or they don’t know each other. But once they become comfortable with each other, feel relaxed and not judged by the others, they open up. Second, it’s the happiness that I see on their faces. At the school event, everybody is happy that they’ve reached the end, and [performing] in front of their families, friends, and teachers, they stand out. Not all of them will have that sense of achievement in high school, but with this event they have it.

“Once they became comfortable with each other, felt relaxed and not judged by the others, they opened up. [They’re] not afraid to speak up or speak their minds.”

PM: What tips or words of wisdom would you share with someone that’s considering starting a TED-Ed Student Talks group?

LT: At the high school age, it’s important to empower them to talk about everything openly, letting them take the lead, and taking a step back. Also, I think that with the Idea Journal, it was really important that they had the copies printed out, so they have it as a real journal. Whereas if we let them work with their phones or digitally, they might not have the materials organized. With the printed version, they can actually go back to what they said in the first sessions and keep track of their progress. Without it, they’re more disorganized and may forget what was discussed in our last meeting, since we meet every two weeks.

Student group art

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Archana Mohan, co-founder of Bookosmia, India’s largest free and open digital platform for children.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Senior Community Manager, Peter Maccario, about how the Student Talks program aligned with her platform’s goal to give children a space to share their voices, and how they were able to adapt the activities to the unique needs of their students and the online setting:

Peter Maccario (PM): Tell us about Bookosmia, your role, and the students you’re serving there.

Archana Mohan (AM): I co-founded Bookosmia with Nidhi Mishra. We’ve both always been interested in the intersection of children, literature, education, and young voices. As we became parents ourselves, we thought that there should be a place where our children’s thoughts could also have space. And that’s Bookosmia: a free, open website for all children to submit their stories, poems, essays, artwork, any kind of expression. It’s a digital publishing platform that gives a certificate to every child who writes to us.

PM: How did Bookosmia get involved with the Student Talks program? 

AM: We saw the wonderful work that TED-Ed was doing with the exact same motive of having young people speak out, helping give them the voice and the structure to do so. We loved the idea and applied to be facilitators. I think it’s our third year now. And the most striking fact for us has been how unifying TED-Ed has been, how universal its ideas are, and the Idea Journal remains everybody’s favorite. They’re always talking about it!

“TED-Ed is not just about public speaking — it’s where you learn new things about new people.”

PM: How did you implement Student Talks into Bookosmia, and how did it fit into what you were already doing as a digital platform?

AM: At the beginning, we had these wonderful meetings that TED-Ed set up with other facilitators who were just starting out, where we could talk to the previous educators and ask questions. I was a bit worried because for most people, the [Student Talks groups] were being done in one place, like a school or a community center. They actually meet the [students] in person and that’s how these programs run. But I knew that for us that wouldn’t work. We knew we wanted to have our young friends from tier three schools and cities also join us. Limiting it to a physical space would automatically cut out all those children, which we thought wasn’t fair because they were already interacting with us. We wanted to do this online, so the first thing we did was assess how we could integrate this best with an online structure. The best part was all of the Student Talks activities were so flexible with what you could do in a classroom, whether online or offline. Doing the group online brought in so many diverse perspectives that I think would have been lost if we had only done it in one community center where all children go to similar schools, or come from similar income groups, or have similar backgrounds. Because we were talking to children from various parts of the country from different backgrounds, the richness of the conversation was definitely improved.

Students participate in the online Student Talks activities

PM: How were you able to start getting the students invested in the program?

AM: There’s a great activity [in the Student Talks curriculum] called “What is in your water?” which asks students to think about what they’re passionate about. What I love about that activity is no one has ever asked these children what they’re passionate about. Most people don’t think to ask children that. They ask “what are your hobbies?” Or, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Those are two common things that children get asked, but they’re never asked what they’re really passionate about, or what makes them happy. That’s what we were focusing on when we started out: getting the children to understand themselves better, then helping them understand their classmates who were all from different places. We break the ice through a lot of activities, and each of our sessions starts with something fun. I think a lot of our program takes off from where TED-Ed starts, but then we use a localized approach which children are more familiar with.

PM: What other adjustments have you made to adapt the program to your students’ needs?

AM: There is a notion that TED-Ed is an exclusive club, and I loved how we broke that down. When you tell people you’re a TED speaker, there’s value in it. But it can be a bit intimidating — the students think, “am I good enough?” From the beginning we wanted to ensure that that thought doesn’t creep into their heads. The activities at the start of the program, where students talk about their strengths, draw themselves, and write about how they’re feeling before giving a talk, we loved those and we spoke about them together. So many children said to us, “I have never given a speech in public. I’m nervous to talk and I’m an introvert.” And we realized that those were just labels that these children had heard from other people that unfortunately they had now co-opted with their personalities. And to remove these barriers for them, we showed them examples of other TED-Ed speakers. One talk we always show is from a young girl, Molly Wright. She  talks about the power of connection, and shows them that anyone can be a speaker; whatever age you are, whoever you are, you’re able to do that.

Another thing that we did if people were not comfortable on video was suggest podcasting. They went through the same process, developing a throughline, listening to talks, making outlines and everything, but they did their final talk as a podcast. It was just audio, they focused on the delivery of the speech and this allowed them to be in a comfortable space without anyone watching. Once they were comfortable in that setting, they realized they knew their talk, and the video portion just became an extension of that.

Prabhgeet giving her talk about embracing grief

PM: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading TED-ED Student Talks with your students, what would you highlight and why?

AM: First, I love watching them let go of their inhibitions. Second, shedding the labels that have been associated with them, either by other people or by themselves. Third, watching them learn that they and their classmates have so many unrealized skills. TED-Ed is not just about public speaking — it’s where you learn new things about new people. For example, we watched the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED Talk about the danger of a single story. I can’t tell you how many young people come back and say that whenever they see someone who’s different from them, or they have a prejudiced thought about them, this talk immediately comes to mind. I love how they’re able to associate those talks and use it in real life. In school, they’ve had to write essays for their classes and they’ll tell us about them saying, “in my throughline, I did this.” So they’re using the process in their schoolwork, and I think that’s only possible with a program like TED-Ed that lays out the whole process clearly. By the end of the program, the students know exactly where they need humor, where they need the hook, what they want to convey, and how to conclude.

“Anyone can be a speaker; whatever age you are, whoever you are, you’re able to do that.”

PM: You’ve spoken about a sense of confidence and building new perspectives, are there other skills you’ve seen improved by the program?

AM: Confidence has been the number one change. The second is language. English is not their first language, so while they are able to communicate quite well in English, there is also the question of “what words should I use?” One great learning has been that the simpler the language, the more it reaches people. Also, authenticity and agency are things that they have gotten introduced to. They understand that they are citizens, they have rights, and can speak up and their opinion counts. When children are taught these values, they automatically feel like they are heard and they feel valued. I think it dramatically improves how they look at things. All of this is linked to the program.

PM: What has been the most challenging part of implementing Student Talks online, and how did you overcome it?

AM: Having everybody on the same page when you’re online can be difficult. We can’t all talk at the same time, it’s too noisy. So, you have to mute people and then let each person speak. Luckily, young people are very mindful of how they conduct their online lessons, and so they understand.

Mitali giving her talk about unconscious gender bias

PM: What words of wisdom would you share with someone considering Student Talks for their students or classrooms?

AM: Keep it light and have activities that speak to the children, things that they identify with. Always start with a fun activity. One of the most fun activities we do is create your own meme. We take standard meme templates, and have them write in their own memes and they love it. We also take video of people talking, mute the audio, and ask the students to come up with their own script. What this does is make the whole atmosphere unserious, which you really need to do when you’re talking to young people. Get them invested in the activity, and then make them think.

For anyone considering the program, I would say absolutely go for it. There’s a lot to learn — not just for these young people, but also for the instructors. I think everyone benefits from listening to these young people and their fresh ideas. It’s a win for everyone.

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Illana Raia, an entrepreneur who founded ÊTRE, an organization which connects girls with mentors across dozens of industries, and has integrated the Student Talks program into ÊTRE for the past four years.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager Sasha Rudenko about her thoughts on how the program fits into the mission of ÊTRE and how it has helped girls bridge the middle school confidence gap:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us about ÊTRE, what the organization is, your role, and what students you serve.

Illana Raia (IR): We take girls directly into companies that they are interested in and meet female leaders face-to-face. It’s very girl-driven. We go into companies like Spotify and Google, we ring the bell at NASDAQ and we meet the women who work there. And we do this because, as our research from 2024 confirmed, girls’ confidence between ages 13 and 18 is dropping by 20%. But 91% of girls said that higher confidence is directly related to mentorship. So a big part of what we do— whether it is through company visits, books, or TED-Ed— is we bring girls into close proximity with amazing mentors so that their voices can be heard and their ideas can be explored in a bigger way earlier on.

Avery Nemo

SR: How did you find the TED-Ed Student Talks program? How did you implement it into what you were already doing with ÊTRE?

IR: A lot of the things that were defining girls, particularly in high school, particularly looking at college, suddenly went up in smoke [at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic], right? There’s no varsity soccer season. There’s no school newspaper. There’s no spring musical. From middle school all the way through high school, girls were losing the thing that excited them at school. And they were looking for ways to define themselves. I knew about TED-Ed and I reached out and I said, “Look, I’m not one school, but I work with a ton of schools.” I asked if it would be possible for me to get a license so that girls could continue to explore the things that they were closest to outside of school and we can work on the mentorship side. And TED-Ed said yes.

“Connection and community were key for girls at the [beginning of the pandemic], and TED-Ed unlocked their world.”

2021 was our first year and it was such a game-changer for our girls because they suddenly found that thing that they couldn’t do at school. They could talk to other founders and let the world know what their idea was. It gave them a different springboard at a time when everyone was so isolated and it immediately gave them a larger community. We pair each girl with a particular mentor and encourage the girls to think really big. The mentors we’ve had have been incredible. We had a 10-year-old from Canada write about protecting the environment and four women from the Jane Goodall Institute gave her suggestions, quotes, and talked to her about what her premise was. I don’t know that that would have happened before [the start of COVID]. They give the girls a little extra confidence to be able to get up and share their own idea because they bounced it off someone who’s already an expert.

SR: If you were to pick a standout moment from your time leading the group, what would you highlight?

IR: I’m going to give you two. First, from the mentorship side, something that really thrilled me is how the girls who have been through the program are now mentoring each other. We’ve got three girls, all under 16, mentoring each other within the Student Talks program. That completely surprised me.

Second, from a facilitator point of view, watching girls, from the rehearsal day to the performance day, come into their own. [A lot of] these girls have never been brave enough to try out for choir, or debate team, or anything else that involves getting on a stage. They might be shy or they’re nervous about their braces. And then they stand on that carpet and step up to that mic and it’s like someone flips a switch. There’s a different kind of confidence that comes because they’re talking about something they chose. They weren’t assigned this. They’ve been thinking about it for six months. They did all the writing. TED-Ed is special because it’s so student-driven. And that I’ll take that type of confidence all day.

“It’s not the ultimate grasping of the mic that raises their voices — it’s support from fellow speakers, the encouragement of epic mentors, and the step-by-step process that TED-Ed lays out that helps them find their voice.” 

SR: Aside from confidence, if you were to pick skills — soft and hard skills — that you’ve seen your students improve the most by going through the Student Talks activities, what would those be?

IR: TED-Ed lets them take on a really big topic. [Whether it’s] entrepreneurship or grief or climate change or cultural norms in their country, it’s different from a regular assignment than they’re used to. The expansiveness of thought is really great with this program— it lets them think big.

I love the feedback they give each other, especially in the beginning when we’re in those group settings before we’re rehearsing individual talks. They don’t know each other and yet they are really willing to listen. If you tell most people that middle school girls are going to be immediately collaborative and supportive, most people are going to roll their eyes. I only see that with TED-Ed. It affords a lot of collaboration and peer support, which is nice outside of your own school system.

The girls always surprise me with how well they do [with the activities] in the very beginning. They write beautifully. And I don’t know if that’s the girls who are drawn to TED-Ed or if it’s just that blue sky, say whatever you want aspect of it, which is different than regular homework.

Alena McQuarter

SR: Think about somebody who wants to start this in their school: what would you tell them? What has been the most challenging part about  implementing Student Talks at ÊTRE and how did you overcome it?

IR: For the first three years when we were only virtual, girls were busy. Making sure we could get everyone was hard. And so one thing I did every month was offering at least three meeting choices for each time zone. You can jump into any one of the [meetings], and they knew that they had to be in a meeting every month. If someone couldn’t make any of them, I made sure that I could meet one-on-one with her. If you’re facilitating the program for a lot of different schools and [trying to accommodate] everyone’s schedules, offer way more options than you think you’ll need.

Another challenge was that I was worried they were going to be really intimidated being on stage. We had a rehearsal day, and one thing we did was we put a bunch of red bean bags in one corner of the stage and divided the girls into groups of five. So when they first got to the stage, they were with a group. They all got on the stage together and then one by one they’d get called to the mic. Adding that little intermediate step getting to the stage I thought was helpful because this may be the first time a girl has ever been on a big stage. And it’s a big theater and there are lights and it’s intimidating. I would tell someone who’s starting it, if you see that [nervousness] at all, have them go up on stage in teams. Then at least they’re sitting among their peers, and they’re getting a few minutes on stage to look out at the audience before they’re up at the mic and they get more comfortable.

“That middle school confidence gap? I have witnessed TED-Ed bridge that gap again and again.”

SR: You’ve been doing this for four years. What tips or words of wisdom would you share with someone considering Student Talks for their students?

IR: I would say first of all, do it! It’s going to seem like a giant thing. It’s going to seem like there are so many requirements and it’s overwhelming. Do it. Anytime I had a question and I emailed anybody at TED-Ed, I got the information. That was really great.

I think the students have to really want to do it. If a parent comes to you and assures you that this child— who’s not saying one word— really wants to do it, the kids have to really want it. And those are the best talks. It’s a really enriching thing to add to your program, whatever your program might be.

Speakers at the ÊTRE talk showcase

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here and here.

TED-Ed

Our team has a big announcement!

Educators working with Spanish-speaking students or students learning Spanish can use our free curriculum to create TED-style Talks with their students in Spanish!

Our TED-Ed Student Talks curriculum has been a successful resource in English throughout the years, so we are thrilled to be able to offer them in another language.

How do you and other educators receive the free materials?

Go to the TED-Ed’s Spanish materials website and make sure you are registered as a TED-Ed user. Then enter your basic information about your role and organization. Lastly, click “request materials” and our team will send an email with folders of the materials.

If you have not registered for a TED-Ed account yet, you will need to do so and make sure you have selected “educator” in your TED-Ed profile.

Why do teachers love the materials so much?

When students participate in these activities they have the opportunity to:

— Identify and develop an idea they are passionate about

— Transform their idea into a compelling TED-style Talk

— Learn how to give and receive feedback

— Strengthen their public speaking and presentation skills

— Connect with other students in the program

Know an educator who might be interested?

Share our website or this document in Spanish with your network and fellow communities, such as:

1. Reach out to K-12 teachers, librarians, school principals, etc. working in schools or educational organizations and tell them about the program!

2. Share on your social media.

Note: We ask that each educator requests the resources individually to be sent to their email through our website, rather than educators forwarding the resources directly to other educators. It is helpful for us to track who has requested the resources.

______________________________________________

Lleva el programa Student Talks de TED a tu escuela e inspira a tus estudiantes para que desarrollen y compartan sus grandes ideas como charlas estilo TED.

El programa TED-Ed Student Talks es un plan de estudios complementario y gratuito que te ofrece actividades atractivas para que los estudiantes identifiquen, desarrollen y compartan sus ideas en la forma de charlas estilo TED. El plan de estudios ha sido utilizado por educadores y estudiantes de inglés de todo el mundo durante los últimos 7 años. Nos complace anunciar que los educadores que deseen usar el plan de estudios con sus estudiantes en español ahora pueden descargar esos recursos de forma gratuita.  Esperamos que aprendas más en nuestra página de descarga de materiales en español y que consideres compartir esto en gran medida con otros educadores que conozcas. Sigue leyendo para saber más sobre el programa y cómo puedes difundirlo.

¿Cómo recibes los materiales gratuitos?

Ve a la sección Español del sitio web de TED-Ed e ingresa información básica sobre tu rol y organización. A continuación, haz clic en “solicitar materiales” y te enviaremos un correo electrónico con las carpetas de los materiales. Debe iniciar sesión como “Educador” para ver esta página. Consulte su perfil de TED-Ed para ver su tipo de registro.

¿Por qué a los docentes les gusta tanto el programa?

Les da a los estudiantes la oportunidad de hacer lo siguiente:

— Identificar y desarrollar una idea que les apasiona

— Transformar su idea en una charla estilo TED atractiva

— Aprender a dar y recibir comentarios

— Reforzar sus capacidades para hablar en público y hacer presentaciones

— Conectarse con otros estudiantes del programa

¿Conoces a algún educador que pueda estar interesado?

Comparte nuestro sitio web con tu red de contactos y con otras comunidades. Por ejemplo:

1. Ponte en contacto con maestros de preescolar, bibliotecarios, directores de escuela, etc., que trabajan en escuelas u organizaciones educativas y cuéntales sobre el programa.

2. Comparte nuestro sitio en tus redes sociales.

Nota: Le pedimos a cada educador que solicite que se le envíen los recursos a su propio correo electrónico a través de nuestro sitio web, en lugar de que los educadores reenvíen los recursos directamente a otros educadores. Esto nos ayuda a hacer un seguimiento de quién ha solicitado los recursos.

Shutterstock

A South Texas school district is inspiring student voices by utilizing the TED-Ed Student Talks curriculum in all their 6th grade writing classrooms.

Here, educator Corinne Spellane discusses how they incorporated the program into the ELA curriculum, and how it helped students find their passion, organize their ideas, build their confidence, and share their own TED-style Talks.

Los Cuates Middle School 2020 showcase

Check out Los Cuates Middle School’s showcase promo and their 2020 Talk showcase.

Rolling out the program

It all started with the little ones! Several of our feeder elementary schools have established TED-Ed Clubs in their after-school programs. When we saw and heard what these kiddos were capable of, we knew we had to help it grow. We decided to start with 6th grade students so that they could rely upon their elementary TED-Ed Club experience.

In Los Fresnos, we provide middle school students with a separate writing class. Preparing for a speech involves organization akin to that required in writing essays and compositions. Therefore it just seemed natural to incorporate the TED-Ed Student Talks curriculum in the writing classes. It was such a treat to watch their ideas snowball from their experience in elementary school!

Making it work in the classroom

The 6th grade ELA department is a pioneering group of eager educators willing to try innovative approaches to give students a voice and strengthen their writing skills. We began by eagerly sifting through the TED-Ed Student Talks Guidebook and other TED-Ed resources. We then reviewed the district’s pacing guide and important dates to establish a basic schedule for the project. Teachers continually shared their feedback and we adjusted accordingly. Once the timeline was established, we set non-negotiable goals and checkpoints to ensure students had adequate time to complete and share their Talks. Teachers had a wide range of negotiable items that allowed them the freedom to make personal and classroom adjustments.

We really had to evaluate our timeline and make the necessary adjustments sometimes on a class-by-class basis. For one class in particular, we noticed that the kids’ passions from Activity 3 in the Guidebook changed after they’d gone through Exploration. This most likely was due to the time and opportunity to think, reflect, and watch more Talks. When they got to the “What are my great ideas?” activity, students found that their passions had evolved. We realized that students need more time to talk out their ideas and reflect on what they truly wanted to say.

Liberty Memorial Middle School

One of my favorites was a student who originally identified her passion as “Raising Show Cattle for Future Farmers of America.” After some extended conversation, she eventually discovered that her “great idea” was actually about her feeling of empowerment when showing animals well over a thousand pounds. Her Talk then shifted to the idea of “Girl Power in the Show Ring.”

Additionally, for Exploration 7 around researching the idea, many of the teachers recommended the use of laptops or computer lab time to help with the research process and teachers provided ample class time for research. Some teachers also encouraged students to continue the research process at home. In many cases, students chose to continue their work beyond class time because it was so interesting to them.

Supporting educators

Teachers need patience, flexibility, and time! For some of the activities teachers asked me to join them. It was helpful to have an additional adult in the room to aid the students during specific parts of the process. This was important especially at the beginning when students were coming up with ideas.

My favorite part was watching this process evolve across the three different middle schools. Teachers were able to share and collaborate on their challenges and success while still adding their personal teaching styles. Our group of teachers tried to come together regularly, so that could share our experiences as facilitators, but it was difficult. Fortunately, every middle school had a team of two teachers that were able to collaborate. In the future, it would be very beneficial to have regularly scheduled meetings between the facilitators, and a forum of some kind where teachers could post ideas and suggestions.

Utilizing the Student Talks curriculum

The Student Talks Guidebook was the cornerstone of our timeline. We also watched tons of TED Talks and TEDx Talks to help us through the process. Some of our favorites were: how to grow from underdog to basketball and social media icon, school strike for climate, and the danger of a single story.

Once I gathered all of the materials, we came together to develop our timeline. I first reviewed Idea Book and materials, then worked with teachers to create a timeline and list of resources, which can be seen here: TED Talk Passion Project and Showcase.

The TED-Ed curriculum provides the common core standards, which we don’t use in Texas. But, it was easy to match the activities provided in the Idea Book with our Texas curriculum standards. For example, one Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standard states, “develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by: organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion.” Similarly, the “Discover” section of the TED-Ed Student Talks Idea Journal guides the students through the brainstorming and organizing process in a new and fun way! It was easy to tag our standards with this activity. The kids really didn’t see it as work and it was almost as if we tricked them into writing an essay because they were developing their Talk.

Developing a throughline activity at Liberty Memorial Middle School

Some parting advice

I recommend that teachers work through the student guide book themselves first to develop their own Talks. If you are able to participate in TED Masterclass that would be even better! Having the experience first really helps you to understand the process and be able to assist your students. Be patient and expect your students to struggle, as this process is challenging and a novel concept for most kids.

TED

The TED-Ed community consists of thousands of amazing students around the world. Each year, the TED-Ed team designs ways to bring students together and connect over ideas worth spreading.

In January 2021, TED-Ed hosted the first ever Exploring Together virtual event: a student-only event series focused on amplifying student ideas, forging global connections, and celebrating the talent, resilience, and accomplishments of students in the TED-Ed Student Talks Program.

Over 300 students from 35 countries around the world came together to celebrate student ideas and connect. Participants watched six different student talks, listened as featured students interviewed each other, and engaged in breakout rooms to share ideas and takeaways from each talk.

To kick off the event, attendees watched a clip from Saint Andrew’s School’s TEDx event which brought students together virtually for an incredible music and dance performance.

Next, the main feature: Student Talks! Here are the six students from the TED-Ed Student Talks Program who shared their ideas during the Exploring Together event:

Session 1

Why I no longer tell myself to “stop crying” – Larry Cruz

School/Organization: Mount Carmel School

Location: Northern Mariana Islands

When student Larry Cruz was 6-years-old, he has a vivid memory of being told to “stop crying” after falling. Now as a high school student, Larry wishes that, “ 6-year-old Larry was given the freedom to cry.” In this inspiring Talk, Larry explains the harms of toxic masculinity and his journey to overcome its influence on him. Larry asks us to think about how we interact with the boys and men in our lives by asking, “where does the pain go if we cannot let it out? Where does the pain go if we pretend it doesn’t exist?”

The unexpected challenges of living in paradise – Aleia Santos

School/Organization: Mount Carmel School

Location: Northern Mariana Islands

When Aleia Santos first found out her family was moving to the Pacific island of Saipan, she was elated. She pictured her future full of days spent swimming, breathtaking sites, and a life in paradise. But soon after their arrival, she found herself feeling alienated and misunderstood, and she struggled to fit in in her new school and community. A confrontation with a teacher changed all of this. In this Talk, Aleia shares her experience and reminds us that no one is ever alone, not even someone who lives on an island.

Learning the art of compromise – Lauren Frankal

School/Organization: BBYO

Location: United Kingdom

“Compromise isn’t always a win-win situation,” in fact, it’s often the exact opposite. And that’s okay, says student Lauren Frankal. Our daily lives are filled with constant compromise: from negotiating curfew with your parents, to letting someone walk first through a door, or countries settling disputes. All these acts make us better, more self-aware and less self centered. In this Talk, Lauren shares the universal importance of compromise.

Session 2

Speech isn’t the only way to communicate – Kendall Albrecht

School/Organization: Rolling Hills Middle School

Location: United States

How would you communicate with others if you were unable to speak? Speech is just one way of communicating, says student Kendall Albrecht. For those with a disability that impedes speech, there are many systems and strategies that allow them to convey thoughts and feelings while being non-verbal— it’s called AAC, or Augmented and Alternative Communication. In this Talk, Kendall challenges how we think of communication and highlights the benefits of AAC.

What I’ve learned from living in 4 different countries – Shreya Joshi

School/Organization: Metea Valley High school

Location: United States

Moving between four countries as a child may sound like a hectic and stressful way to grow up. But for student Shreya Joshi, it was an opportunity— an opportunity to learn, grow, and become more adaptable. “We love predictability [and] certainty because we can prepare for what’s to come,” but life often doesn’t work this way. In this Talk, Shreya shares why adaptability is an essential life skill, and how you can develop it in your own life.

I have over 60 people in my family. Here’s what I’ve learned. – Paul Quense

As the youngest of seven siblings, 56 cousins, two in-laws, one nephew, and a dog, Speaker Paul Quense knows a thing (or 60!) about having a big family. While challenging at times, Paul explains how being a member of a large family can teach important life skills like patience, teamwork, and responsibility. In this energizing Talk, Paul explains how his above-averagely-sized household helps him grow as an individual, and he shares some tips to help us all reflect on the many ways our families shape us.

Learn more about the Student Talks Program and how Student Talks groups are celebrating student ideas virtually all around the world.

Ananya Grover speaks at TED-Ed Weekend 2020

At TED-Ed, we work to spark and celebrate the ideas of every student and educator in the world. Learn more about TED’s global student voice initiative and how to get involved:

What is the Student Talks Program?

— A curriculum to help your students develop their best ideas. Students will discover and explore great ideas with peers in their community and around the world. Utilizing a comprehensive curriculum with 13 explorations, students will dive into the ideas that matter to them. As students prepare their short, TED-style Talks, they’ll develop skills in speaking and listening, researching and supporting their ideas, and giving and receiving feedback, just to name a few! From the power of music to dealing with depression, these ideas are important to develop and discuss among members of all ages.

— A space to amplify students’ ideas around the world. By completing the program and uploading their very own TED-style Talk, your students will have the opportunity to share their ideas with the world. Whether uploading their Talk, speaking at a TED-Ed event, or getting on a call with other students– this program will help amplify and encourage their brilliant ideas. Click here to watch TED-Ed Student Talks. »

— A program that connects students with other groups around the world. Your students will have access to join tens of thousands of students in 100+ countries. Through Connect Calls, students can exchange cultural traditions, new recommendations for music, video games and graphic novels, and most importantly have fun! Click here to read about connecting with the TED-Ed community. »

Who is the Student Talks Program for?

The Student Talks Program is designed for students ages 8-18, in high school/secondary school and below. This program is best suited for educational organizations, and to be educator-led. There are many instances where you can apply as an educator if you work outside of the school classroom. Those include (but are not limited to): librarian, a curriculum or technology coordinator, a district admin, a homeschool parent, or a youth organization program leader.

How do you get started with the Student Talks Program?

We operate on a trimester application system and our program is designed for educators or program leaders in schools, districts or educational organizations. All approved applications will receive access to resources for a year (12 month access).

Here are dates for the following application cycles:

Application cycle 1:

Opens on February 1 and closes on March 15. Applications submitted during this cycle will receive approval on April 1.

Application cycle 2:

Opens on April 1 and closes on July 15. Applications submitted during this cycle will receive approval on August 1.

Application cycle 3:

Opens on August 1 and closes on November 8. Applications submitted during this cycle will receive approval on December 1.

Read our Information packet and click here to apply!

Where is the Student Talks Program?

The TED-Ed Student Talks program operates in over 130 countries around the world. You and your students will be joining a vibrant and diverse group of educators and students from all corners of the globe!