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.

TED-Ed Weekend 2020 connect call

Our community of educators, students, and organizers have been on the frontlines of a quickly changing world.

In this new normal, remote learning is a staple of everyday life and in-person gatherings are limited. So many educators and students are facing the question: how can we celebrate ideas when we’re not in the same space?

We’ve pulled together inspiration from community members from the Student Talks program who have exhibited ingenuity, creativity, and adaptability during these unprecedented times.

Each of the groups had students pre-record their Talks at home on their own devices, and then chose their own unique way to celebrate their ideas.

See how different groups expertly adjusted the way they amplify students’ ideas in new and exciting ways:

La Rosa Elementary School

La Rosa Elementary School, 3rd grade showcase

Type: Live Zoom call with live Talks for a full event experience.

Presenters joined via Zoom and then each student presented their talk live, along with a stellar student MC! The full Zoom call was recorded.

Group leader: Cindi Young

Location: Temple City, California, USA

Group Leader Cindi Young reflects on her experience:

“We had a great time continuing on even after school closed. I actually feel like I had a better connection with my students on the virtual level. They were so much more present and engaged with each other. I have been running clubs for 2 1/2 years, and this showcase will hold a special place in my heart. What led to the success of the showcase is the deep connections we made during our virtual time together. My kids went home on a Friday afternoon and never came back. That was traumatizing for a lot of kids. The TED-Ed club was a place they could count on to feel connected and to share their feelings. It gave them purpose every day. They got to connect with classmates as well as me and my co-advisor. I loved it. I feel like I got so much more out of the kids and the experience online. Honestly, I think I needed the club too. I missed that connection with students. This gave me some purpose during that very difficult time.”

St. Andrew’s School

We loved seeing how students set up their at-home tripods!

Type: Pre-record full talks shared at a TEDxSaintAndrews event

Group Leader: Lisa Winer

Location: Boca Raton, Florida, USA

St. Andrew’s TED-Ed Student Talks virtual showcase featured 6 students sharing their ideas on:

The importance of female role models for boys, SATs offering Venn Diagrams so you can shade in your ethnicity instead of checking boxes, seeing the world differently, how quitting can help you find your passion and the art of daydreaming.

Students also came together to create this incredible display of digital collaboration:

“The piece was originally constructed to be a live in-person performance, the circumstances required the students to think outside of the box and shift their plans to use the space and instruments available at home.”

Los Cuates Middle School

Los Cuates Middle School

Type: Live Zoom call with pre-recorded Talks played via Screenshare on Zoom

Group leader: Abigail Benavidez and Olga Villanueva-Vega

Location: Los Fresnos, Texas, USA

About 70 honors writing students at Los Cuates Middle School in Los Fresnos, Texas began working on the TED-Ed Student Talks Program curriculum in January of this year. They had the intention of recording their Talks at a culminating event, but pivoted to hosting their virtual showcase where selected students attended the call with their families and watched each others’ recorded talks!

Mount Paran Christian School

Mount Paran Christan School

Type: Pre-recorded Talks, judged by committee. Top three finalists were featured in community news media and on school platforms.

Location: Kennesaw, Georgia, USA

Mount Paran Christan School had a creative take on their Student Talks showcase by selecting finalists for the event. This is one way to share student ideas if you don’t have the time or resources to share all the Talks from your group widely!

These three finalists shared ideas on:

Relearning to see the colors of life through a video game, overcoming perfectionism, and wrestling a catholic monk!

Mount Carmel School

Mount Carmel School

Type: Pre-recorded Talks, edited together, streamed live on Facebook and YouTube

Location: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Students from Mount Carmel School in the Northern Mariana Islands, delivered their TED-Ed Student Talks Programs Talks to an online audience on their school’s Facebook and YouTube pages. And after great success with their first virtual event the group already hosted their second virtual event of the year!

You all have inspired us by continuing to foster vibrant communities during these tough times. We cannot wait to see what events come next!

Learn how to bring the Student Talks program to your school here