Photo: Ryan Lash

On February 8th, TED-Ed Weekend is going to be celebrating students around the world. And here at TED-Ed, we want to make sure those of you watching remotely are a part of it. Can’t make it to TED HQ in NYC? No problem, we’ve got you covered.

Join us in the TED World Theater!

So what exactly is the TED World Theater?

It’s a new technology that projects a participant’s webcam image (YOU!) onto the walls of our theater in NYC. Instead of watching remotely like you’d watch a TV show, you’ll be a visible addition to our in-house audience, watch the speakers and panels, and interact with attendees both in-person and virtual from wherever you are!

TED World Theater

 Why it’s awesome:

1. Be on the TED stage virtually! Some virtual attendees will get the opportunity to address the room from a screen on the TED stage.

2. Meet and chat with other students from around the world in the TED World Theater chat room

3. Have the chance to ask speakers and guests questions and take part in panel discussions

4. Be a shining face in the crowd, up on the theater wall as an audience member

5. Participate in exclusive TED World Theater-only puzzles, riddle challenges and games for a chance to win prizes

Sign up using this form!

Sofia Guidi speaking at TED-Ed Weekend 2018. Photo: Ryan Lash

What you’ll need to participate:

To take part in the TED World Theater, you’ll need to follow a few tech requirements:

1. A high-speed internet connection and computer with webcam capabilities so we can see and talk to you!

2. The Chrome 65 and above browsers work best with the theater system. Opera, Firefox 59 and above, or Safari will work if you’re not planning to speak. Internet Explorer unfortunately is not compatible with the theater system.

3. We want to be able to hear your questions and for you to be able to hear the speakers! Using headphones or earbuds (with a microphone!) will give you the best audio experience.

4. Add worldtheater@ted.com to your email address book so you can receive the link to join the event and for any troubleshooting needs for the day of!

Even if you can’t be at TED-Ed Weekend physically, we want you in the room virtually! Sign up today and get ready for February 8th. We can’t wait to “see” you there!

And make sure to check out the TED-Ed Weekend 2020 speakers:

The International Animation Festival of Brazil, Anima Mundi, takes place every year in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In the 25 years since it was created by four Brazilian animators, Anima Mundi has exhibited more than 9,000 films from 70 different countries to an audience of 1.2 million people. The festival is unique in its approach to community engagement, offering free stop-motion, pixilation, and zoetrope-making workshops to kids and families — while also taking over the city center with animation installations, and distributing a selection of animated shorts to smaller towns and cities across Brazil. Festival leaders also organize the ‘Anima Forum’, which offers masterclasses, feedback sessions, and professional networking opportunities for Brazilian animators and filmmakers.

What’s your ‘note to self’ to read in 5 years? In this TED-Ed + Anima Mundi animation workshop in Brazil, a student named Olivia animates the unwrapping of crumpled paper to reveal her note to self. Translated, it reads: ‘Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today’.

TED-Ed was honored to be invited this year to present at the Anima Forum, and to facilitate animation workshops with some of Anima Mundi’s fabulous animation instructors. We also invited local TED-Ed Clubs to participate. As part of the TED-Ed + Anima Mundi animation workshop, we asked the high-school aged participants to write ‘a note to self’ to be read in 5 years. We encouraged them to be as silly or as feel-good-motivational as they wanted to be. They worked alone and in groups for about an hour, deciding what to say in their notes and and conceptualizing them as animated ideas. After that, we spent an hour shooting the animations. Here’s what they had to say to their future selves:

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TED-Ed Weekend is just like the official TED conference, except for one thing: it’s dedicated to student voice.

At the June 2017 TED-Ed Weekend, thousands of people tuned in via the livestream and Facebook Live to watch students take the mic at TED Headquarters in New York City. On stage, students shared ideas about everything from ADHD and the human mind, to solar energy and ocean clean-up. Off stage, students participated in hands-on workshops about creativity, VR, and animation.

Below, meet some of the TED-Ed Weekend June 2017 student speakers on their journey from TED-Ed Clubs to TED Headquarters:

Then, watch how TED-Ed Weekend June 2017 student attendees animated playful audience reactions to TED Talks — aka That Feeling When, or TFW — using a technique called pixillation:

To learn more about the impact of TED-Ed Weekend, watch how students describe the experience of coming together from TED-Ed Clubs around the world to share ideas:

If you missed this TED-Ed Weekend, don’t worry! There will be future opportunities to get involved in amplifying student voice. Each TED-Ed Weekend event features an amazing lineup of student speakers from around the globe. In addition to sharing ideas, student attendees have the opportunity to connect with experts, learn valuable new skills, explore ideas that matter, join hands-on media and animation workshops, and form lasting friendships within the global TED student community.

Questions about how to get involved with the next TED-Ed Weekend event? Email us at tededweekends@ted.com.

~The TED-Ed Team

To learn more about how TED-Ed celebrates and amplifies student voices, or to start your own TED-Ed Club, go to ed.ted.com/clubs.

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

Imagine that you’re a student with a question about public speaking. Where will you go for advice? For many students, the answer is…YouTube. That’s why for her TED-Ed Innovation Project, technology integration specialist Jennifer L. Scheffer created a YouTube video playlist that provides public speaking advice from TED-Ed Club Members, for TED-Ed Club Members.

Below are her notes on the project:

Working with students is the most rewarding part of my job. Seeing students thrive in leadership positions, such as when giving advice from a student-run IT help desk, is amazing.

For this video advice series, I chose to film TED-Ed Club Member Timmy Sullivan, a two-time TEDxYouth@BHS speaker. (Watch his talks here and here.) In the videos, he provides students with advice on how to best prepare the beginning, middle, and end of their TED-like talks, and shares his firsthand experience and success as a nationally known speaker and blogger.

Watch the student video advice series here.

Student feedback: “As a veteran TED-Ed Club Member and TEDxYouth@BHS speaker, I feel privileged to be a part of this project,” says Timmy Sullivan. “Being a part of TED-Ed Clubs has been life changing for me, and I hope I will play a small role in impacting the lives of my fellow TED-Ed Club Members throughout the world.”

Get involved with TED-Ed Clubs here.

This article is part of the TED-Ed Innovation Project series, which highlights 25+ TED-Ed Innovation Projects designed by educators, for educators, with the support and guidance of the TED-Ed Innovative Educator program. You are welcome to share, duplicate and modify projects under this Creative Commons license to meet the needs of students and teachers.

Art credit: Sarah Rebar/TED-Ed Blog 

For his TED-Ed Innovation Project, teacher Steven Sutantro created a new way to put student ideas, hopes and dreams in the spotlight at more community events by combining a digital gallery with an event booth run by students. Here are his step-by-step instructions on how you can replicate this innovation at your school:

1. Start a TED-Ed Club. This will help you develop student ideas.

Innovation in education is about more than just technology. It’s about how you can empower students — they are the ones who hold the future. TED-Ed Clubs empower students to develop their ideas and share them with confidence. For example, check out these student ideas. To start a club at your school today, go here.

2. Create a digital gallery of student ideas.

You can use whatever tools you like to create a digital gallery of student ideas. For example, I used Wix to create an online space for TED-Ed Club members at my school to share what they love to do and what they’re passionate about. Check it out.

3. Find a TEDx event near you and contact the organizer.

When you contact the organizer, tell them that your school’s TED-Ed Club wants to present an exhibit booth at the event. This will be a space that gives students an opportunity to showcase their ideas. In the booth, TED-Ed Club members will:

• Exhibit a digital gallery of student ideas
• Engage visitors to post their own ideas
• Share information about TED-Ed resources, experiences and guidelines.

4. Make a list of ‘to-do’s for the event booth.

For example, my to-do list looked like this:

• Invite the TEDxYouth committee to collaborate
• Design a T-shirt for our club.
• Plan a special gift for visitors.
• Make a presentation display.
• Prepare logistic needs for the booth.
• Documentation during the event.

 5. Form a team to help with the event booth. Distribute the ‘to-do’s.

The TED-Ed Club at Dian Harapan School hosted our event booth. That’s me on the left.

6. Collaborate with your TEDx organizer and team.

Stephanie — the TEDx Youth SPH organizer — and I maintained strong communication via emails and video calls to make sure our collaboration met our goals.

7. Invite your school community (TED-Ed Club members, students, teachers, parents and friends) to be part of the TEDx event.

We had a great time at the event, and the TED-Ed Clubs station was a big success! You can read more about our experiences here.

Tips:

• Engage your students. Involve your students in the process of making the digital gallery and event booth. Ask them to collaborate with you to share the spirit of TED-Ed Clubs and the power of doing what you love.
• Design your booth. A detailed blueprint will help you plan a digital display and banner for your event booth.
• Invite your friends. Let teachers, students and parents join you at the TEDx event. Let them know that students will be part of the event to exhibit their passions and ideas.
• Inspire your students. Encourage TED-Ed Club members to stay confident and share their ideas. Challenge them to interact with speakers and visitors during the event and discuss ideas.
• Make your booth famous during the event. Share photos of the event and tag @tededclubs.
• Reward and reflect. After the event, thank your students with simple thank you notes and ask them to reflect what they learned from the event and what could be improved for next time.
• If you have questions about how to replicate this project, please reach out to me on Twitter. 

This article is part of the TED-Ed Innovation Project series, which highlights 25+ TED-Ed Innovation Projects designed by educators, for educators, with the support and guidance of the TED-Ed Innovative Educator program. You are welcome to share, duplicate and modify projects under this Creative Commons license to meet the needs of students and teachers. To get started, click here.