About Us

TEDxYouth@ACS was the CAS project of Dina Shriem and Dennis Hilgendorf (Class of 2014), and Lane Graciano was their adviser. CAS stands for Creativity, Action and Service; it is a core component of the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The idea for a TED-like day of talks came up in Grade 11, when clips from TEDTalks videos were screened and discussed in Ms. Graciano’s English class and other classes, such as Theory of Knowledge.

“TED has been a source of learning throughout my high school career,” says Dina. “It’s been an alternative way for me to understand concepts in our subjects beyond the classroom. I can’t wait for what TEDxYouthACS is going to bring to our community, and I hope it will be a legacy for many years.”

“TED talks present a creative opportunity for one individual to spread an idea, and for the audience to listen and pause for reflection,” adds Dennis. “They encourage us to delve into concepts raised in the classroom by approaching these ideas in different ways. The ACS community is rich with leaders and individuals whose powerful ideas can have a profound impact. TEDxYouthACS is a way to spread these ideas and their positive impact.”

About TEDx (x = independently organized event)

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with many initiatives.

At a TED conference, the world’s leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. TED speakers have included Roger Ebert, Sheryl Sandberg, Bill Gates, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Brian Greene, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Three major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Vancouver, Canada, simultaneous with TEDActive, in Whistler, BC; and the TEDGlobal Conference takes place each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On TED.com, talks from TED conferences are shared with the world for free as TED Talks videos. A new TED Talk is posted every weekday. Through the Open Translation Project, TED Talks are subtitled by volunteers worldwide into more than 90 languages. Through our distribution networks, TED Talks are shared on TV, radio, Netflix and many websites.

The TEDx initiative grants free licenses to people around the world to organize TED-style events in their communities with TED Talks and live speakers. More than 5,000 TEDx events have been held, and selected talks from these events are also turned into TED Talks videos.

The annual TED Prize grants $1 million to an exceptional individual with a wish to change the world. The TED Fellows program helps world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. TED-Ed creates short video lessons by pairing master teachers with animators, for use in classroom instruction or independent learning.

For information about TED’s upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED