Why Giving TED-Ed Talks Matters for the Next Generation Now More Than Ever
It's here.
Être's fifth season of next gen TED-Ed Talks launched last week and I could not be more excited.
Why?
Because the issues we see splashed across headlines, news crawlers, ticker tapes and feeds are affecting today's teens in unprecedented ways.
From global topics like the economy and climate change to national issues like immigration and student debt; from community concerns like class size and sports teams to at-home discussions about social media and self-confidence, the next generation is staring down today's headlines through a unique set of lenses.
And they have something to say.
Even better? TED-Ed wants to help them share it.
Most of us are familiar with TED Conferences. Standing for “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” TED was a conference series started in 1984 that grew into a global library of curated and inspirational talks that can be viewed at TED.com. Then 11 years ago TED-Ed was born, extending the opportunity to share big ideas to the younger set.
Offering an innovative curriculum on the same iconic red-carpeted stage, TED-Ed does something unlike any other student organization - it elevates youth ideas to national and international audiences. By scaling through classrooms and after-school clubs, TED-Ed bends an ear to young voices so the entire world can listen.
Indeed, that's how Être TED-Ed came to be.
Five years ago, when COVID slammed sports seasons, school plays and community service clubs shut like locker doors, I reached out to TED-Ed. Noting our growing and global network of after-school clubs, TED-Ed promptly granted a license and saved the day.
Suddenly girls stuck at home could dive into topics that fascinated them and film a TED-Ed talk from their kitchen. For three years as the pandemic came and went, girls across the globe worked with specially selected Être mentors to craft and deliver spectacular TED-Ed talks. Some were voted as TED-Ed's Best of the Year and we were featured by TED-Ed as an innovative chapter.
Last year we held our first live TED-Ed event, featuring 30 speakers from 7 countries and mentors that included Nobel laureates, NASA astronauts, Olympic athletes and icons like Gloria Steinem. And this year, we will more than double the number of participants.
With 60+ speakers selected from across 10 US states and 7 countries, Être TED-Ed 2025 promises to be, well...epic.
What kinds of early topics are being discussed? Think AI and identity, pop-ups and joy, sports and sustainability, music, media and so much more.
Who will mentor these young speakers? Think founders and philanthropists, CEOs and supermodels, STEM leaders, media mavens, Wall Street wizards, sports legends and the list goes on. We're reaching out now to pair each speaker with her perfect mentor, delighted by the fact that our youngest speaker this year is - wait for it - 9 years old.
What's next? Topic development, talk outlines and research ideas. Then, we'll write over the summer. By September we'll be editing and rehearsing, and on October 19th we'll take the stage in NYC again under hot lights and with broad smiles.
Because no matter what tomorrow's news holds (or perhaps even because of it) big ideas are forming. A fearlessly curious generation of girls is watching, listening and thinking, and then raising their hands with smart questions.
And when they get answers from an army of energetic mentors - women leading in their fields and eager to pay it forward - the next thing girls will raise is their voice.
We cannot wait for you to hear them.
Looking forward to a new season of TED-Ed with joy and awe,
Illana
ÊXTRA: Three more things about Être TED-ED you won't want to miss: a full library of past talks here, featured shorts and TED-Ed playlists on our BRAND NEW channel here, and our TED-Ed highlights on Insta here.
