TEDxDanielHandHS:
General Event & Speaker Information
The goal of TEDxDanielHandHS is to bring together a diversity of people across a variety of fields to share their ideas and experiences with our community and the world beyond.
What is a TEDx event?
A TEDx event is a local gathering where live speakers present a recorded, public-speaking presentation about a new idea or perspective within their community. TEDx events are organized independently, under a license granted by TED.
What is a TEDx talk?
On average, in one TEDx event (like TEDxDanielHandHS), there are around 11-20 individual TEDx talks. A TEDx talk is a live presentation that is performed by a “speaker”: someone in the community who has an “idea worth spreading.” TEDx talks are NOT restricted by the event’s theme; they can be about anything that the speaker wants to talk about. Talks can be 3-18 minutes long.
To learn more about what a TEDx talk is, click here!
To view some past TED talks, look below:
What is an “idea worth spreading?”
TED’s whole motto is centered around the idea of showcasing “ideas worth spreading.” But what are these ideas? In short, an “idea worth spreading” is any bigger realization/new idea about life and how you live it, based on your personal experiences. In other words, although we all have different lived experiences and perspectives, we can draw bigger conclusions from those experiences and share those conclusions with others, in hopes that they can apply that conclusion to their own life and experiences.
Here is a very simplistic example of an “idea worth spreading”: Say you are a cat owner. 🐈 Whenever you’ve felt sad or frustrated, your cat has always been there to listen and comfort you, even if your cat can’t talk back. Based on these experiences, you have formed a bigger idea about not only the comfort of having a cat, but the power of having someone just to be there and listen, instead of always wanting to give advice. You can share that bigger idea to an audience, in hopes that they can apply the idea of listening and being there for others in their own lives.
*Note: A TEDx talk is NOT supposed to be a motivational speech, or a persuasive piece that is trying to get the audience to DO something. Instead, it is simply a platform to express these “ideas” or new ways of looking at life with others. In other words, don’t try to inspire your audience. Just present your idea with clarity and confidence, and let the audience be inspired or not inspired on their own.
General Event Details:
Date of Event: March 10th, 2023 (Friday)
Theme: That Makes Two of Us
Location: Daniel Hand High School, Madison CT, 06443
Audience: 100 people (TED’s rules; relatives of speakers and town leaders), broadcasted live and posted on the TEDx YouTube Channel (with the speaker’s consent)
Time: Half-Day Event (9:00am - 3:00pm)
Number of Speakers: 11-20
Speaker Expectations:
Attend a weekly TEDxDanielHandHS meeting
Complete a TEDx speaker training program (associated with weekly meetings)
Write and memorize an original TEDx Talk
Talk length: 3-18 minutes
Topic: Any of your choosing; see the event theme information below!
Be comfortable with publicly speaking on stage in front of an audience
What is TEDxDanielHandHS ABOUT?
The theme of TEDxDanielHandHS is “That Makes Two of Us.” What does “That Makes Two of Us” mean?
“That Makes Two of Us” is a phrase that encompasses the act of coming together over our shared problems, passions, and ideas. Many times in life, we may experience a problem/challenge that we think we are the only ones going through. Likewise, we may have a “crazy” idea, perspective, or passion about something that is not shared by many other people around us.
In these types of scenarios, it is easy to feel afraid that we are alone in these ventures, whether struggling with a problem or taking on a new path professionally. But from these unique experiences, we develop new perspectives and ideas about the world around us. The objective of TEDxDanielHandHS is to share those novel ideas.
You don’t have to be the next Oprah, or a descendent of Albert Einstein. We are simply looking for people from a variety of diverse backgrounds with different perspectives and ideas about life, interests, or big topics. Although we understand that a person’s life experiences shape their ideas/perspectives (of course), a TEDx Talk is NOT supposed to be a life story or one huge experience, but instead, a general, unique idea about something that is formed from those experiences.
What do we mean?
For example, here are the titles of some real, past TEDx Talks:
In this talk, Anais uses her personal experiences as a rower to develop her own, broader idea about “building resilience,” which she can share with others.
In this talk, Carly reflects on her own path to finding herself in order to reach a bigger idea about “what it means to be yourself,” based on her unique experiences.
In this talk, Linh uses her own, personal experience and struggle with jealousy to form a new understanding about how to use the emotion to your advantage, which she shares with others.
Bottom Line: In all of these talks, the speaker uses personal anecdotes in order to broadcast a bigger, broader idea about something that they have a unique approach to, based on their experiences. These talks are NOT motivational speeches, but instead, they are about the transmission of new ideas and perspectives.
So all things considered, could you see yourself as a speaker at TEDxDanielHandHS?
Speakers can be: Town leaders, craftsmen, artists, musicians, scientists, executives, innovators, thought leaders, authors, professors, students, local business or charity owners, etc.
ASK YOURSELF: Are you someone who…
Can present your field in a new light?
Has a unique idea or perspective about something, based on your personal experiences?
Has a passion, interest, or finding that could encourage new thinking about a topic?
Has overcome a certain challenge/obstacle and learned something new from the experience?
Speaker FAQs
How long does my talk have to be? 3-18 minutes
Does my talk have to be memorized? Yes, notecards are not allowed, but a slideshow (on stage) to aid in your presentation is permitted!
What topics can I talk about? The topic of your TEDx talk is entirely up to you. I know that may sound confusing, considering that there is a theme for the event, but the theme is simply there to contextualize the event as being a place where people share broader ideas that others can relate to based on their own unique experiences (That Makes Two of Us). The theme is NOT intended to constrict the topics available to speakers. That being said, only speak on topics that YOU have experienced, don’t draw conclusions based on topics that you have not interacted with.
Are any topics off limits? Simply put, no. You may talk about sensitive topics or lived experiences as long as these ideas are presented in a meaningful way. What does that mean? In other words, there are a few guidelines as to HOW your talk must be presented, so as not to offend or attack any person in TED’s global audience.
Guideline #1: No commercial agendas.
If it is necessary to talk about what you do within a business, that is fine. But TEDx is not the stage to pitch your products or services, ask for funding, plug your books, etc. Your talk should be driven by the idea behind your business (if applicable), instead of trying to sell something from stage. So bottom line: Present ideas; do not advertise.
Guideline #2: No political agendas or inflammatory rhetoric.
Speakers must not attack or advocate for certain parties, platforms, or ways of political thought. You cannot advocate for violence or oppression. Politically divisive subjects, like abortion or gun control, should also be handled with careful consideration so as not to promote negative connotations to global audiences.
Guideline #3: No religious agendas.
Speakers should not attempt to promote a certain religion/belief system or persuade the audience into adopting different religious perspectives. No religion is right or wrong, and no speaker should try to convince the audience otherwise.
Guideline #4: No bad science.
Scientists and other experts in the field present TED talks all the time. But in order to speak on a scientific topic or idea, you must be an expert in the matter. Your claims must be scientifically proven, backed by experts if you are not one yourself, and published in peer-reviewed, respected journals. Although it may be tempting to make attention-grabbing claims, no scientific claim should be made without substantial, professional back up.
To learn more about these guidelines and other tips, click here! ☺
Who will see my talk? As mentioned above, there will be 100 people in the audience on the night of the event (per TEDx Guidelines), but all talks will be professionally recorded and–with the speaker’s consent–will be posted on the TEDx YouTube Channel after the event has taken place.
Finally, what’s in this for me?
We totally get it. Your time is valuable and can be put towards so many different things. Why is this event worth your time and effort?
Publicity
It goes without saying that being a TEDx Speaker is an incredible accomplishment that opens up so many doors, both professionally and personally as well. This event is the REAL deal, in official affiliation with TED, which means that your talk could be posted on the TEDx YouTube Channel, which boasts a following of 37 million subscribers.
Experience
TEDxDanielHandHS is an opportunity to voice your passions, perspective, and unique ideas with the surrounding community. Having the platform to spread your voice is never a waste of time, and you can learn so much about yourself in the process.
Impact
People are listening, and they care about what you have to say. Based on your unique trajectory in life, and the experiences and challenges you have faced, this is the chance to use those experiences to reach a bigger conclusion, “the big takeaway,” and share that realization with your peers.