A mash-up of teachable moments, masquerading as fun
DALLAS (SMU) – Herd 300 middle schoolers into a downtown Dallas theater, treat them to an afternoon of quirky, kinetic presentations modeled after TEDtalks, and what happens?
The kids jump from their seats to shriek, point and laugh. They bound up to the stage to try the impossible. They soak up ideas worth spreading – and grownups are relegated to the balcony.
TEDxKids @SMU is free to the Dallas-area students who have registered to attend, in exchange for their promise to complete a service project. And it will be live-streamed so everyone can join the conversation.
WHAT: TEDxKids @SMU
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 2, 12:30-5 p.m.
WHERE: Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, for pre-registered students
LIVE STREAM: www.tedxsmu.org
This is the third year for the program, and Director Sharon Lyle hopes that teachers and parents will help students tap the experience via the live-stream. “It’s like a buffet,” Lyle said. “You can tune in for any or all of it. Fair warning – your kids will want to keep watching.”
TEDxKids @SMU participants last year learned about evolution from a Canadian rapper, witnessed a breakthrough invention called the EyeWriter, and applauded for peer presenters who spoke about micro lending, politics and poetry. Here’s a preview of what to expect this year:
- A conservation-minded National Geographic Emerging Explorer whose travels have taken her from Alaska to Antarctica, from Bali to Baja, from Taiwan to South Africa
- The filmmaker behind the “daschumentary” on the annual Weiner Dog races in Buda, Texas
- A children’s book author whose non-profit organization serves some of the world’s most vulnerable youth
- A mother-and-son team who are teaching kids to use their talents to make a difference in the world
- The founder of a company that is disarming conflict zones in Africa by remaking the AK-47s it destroys into jewelry, watches and accessories
About TEDxSMU
Mind-stretching programs that connect thought leaders, solution seekers and the merely curious to “why not?” challenges will return to the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre with TEDxKids @SMU on Dec. 2 and TEDxSMU on Dec. 3. The theme for TEDxSMU in 2011 is disruption – a discussion of events, discoveries and how they impact us personally and as a community.
TEDxSMU is an all-day event for pre-registered participants, and the 2010 program ranged from personal discussions of physical and mental journeys to demonstrations of high-tech gadgetry. Architect Joshua Prince-Ramus used the Wyly Theatre as a teaching tool throughout the program, opening the moveable walls of the theatre he designed to the sights and sounds of downtown Dallas at the end of the day.
TEDxKids @SMU is a half-day program designed for middle school students who hear incredible speakers, experience hands-on demos and learn during interactive breaks. In 2010, 350 middle school students learned about evolution from a Canadian rapper, witnessed a breakthrough invention called the EyeWriter, and applauded for peer presenters who spoke about micro lending, politics and poetry. In exchange for free admission to TEDxKids @SMU, student attendees are required to complete a service project. Through projects at SMU, at school, and with local nonprofits, students who attended TEDxKids @SMU in 2010 have contributed more than 1,625 service hours to the community.
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 four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani,Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TEDFellows program, helping 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.
