Être TED-Ed Girls in 4 Countries Shared Big Ideas with the World…and Mentors are Listening
Why do you want to be a TED-Ed speaker?
I see an injustice that needs righting.
I know a problem that needs solving.
I heard an idea that needs exploring.
I have a voice that needs raising.
Comments I heard back in April when Être’s third year as a TedEd Club got underway. Our inaugural season was 2021 when, in response to COVID shutdowns that halted our boardroom visits, I looked to augment the sudden loss of middle and high school extracurriculars and searched for a fresh way for girls to dive deeply into areas of interest from their homes.
By 2022 in our second TED-Ed season, girls in both the US and India were participating, and we engaged mentors from Être’s extensive network – women leading in their fields and motivated to pay it forward – to advise and support the talks. Click here to view the extraordinary girls from Seasons 1 and 2; the talks from Season 3 now include girls from South Korea, India, Canada and the US and will be up on that page by the end of this week.
But – I can’t wait to share them, so here’s a sneak peek.
I hinted at their topics in our earlier newsletter, but it’s high time you met the Être TED-Ed speakers of 2023; click each name to view their talks. They are brave, bold, brilliant…and at or below the age of 18.
Stepping up to the mic from across the globe, please meet…
Aiva Furfaro: At ten years old, Aiva Furfaro (Canada) dives into the environmental crisis of pollution, reaching out to mentors at The Jane Goodall Institute in the US and Canada for expert advice. Offering youth-oriented solutions, Aiva reminds kids everywhere that they are not too young to be environmental activists.
Lena Ford: Fourteen-year-old Lena Ford (United States) uses the construct of building a house to explain the various stages of entrepreneurship. Drawing on her experience as the founder of Positively Lena and bolstered by mentor advice from Shark Tank winner and teen founder Mikaila Ulmer, Lena makes concepts like idea generation, funding, and legal protection not only understandable, but doable.
Arianna Goarley: Writer, producer, and film director Arianna Goarley (16, Canada) puts the viewer in the shoes of every student unable to sit still, remain quiet, or control their emotions in class; this TED-Ed talk encourages all of us to see and communicate our individual needs more clearly.
Anika Gandhi: High school senior Anika Gandhi (17, United States) highlights the growing global crisis of menstrual poverty with input from leaders like Vanessa Zammar. Noting the cultural, academic, and economic implications of period poverty, Anika calls for the world-wide removal of stigma and shame as girls come of age.
Aastha Maurya: In this impassioned TED-Ed talk, Aastha Maurya (16, India) breaks down the history of gender roles in India and traces the concept of feminism through an insightful lens, with mentor support from leaders at UN Women.
Jacqueline (Joowon) Park: Fusing her interests in biology, agriculture, and policy, Jacqueline (Joowon) Park (17, South Korea) tackles the issue of global food insecurity and its impact on students around the world. "These problems are real," she states gravely, "and they are embedded in...our daily lives."
Winter Noel Joy: Talking the talk and walking the walk, 13-year-old Winter Noel Joy (United States) expresses her love of fashion while revealing the insecurities that can arise on the catwalk as a young runway model. Winter Noel gives us a backstage glimpse and discusses the impact of peer pressure and social media on girls starting out in this industry.
Devika Modi: Devika Modi (16, India) shares her unbridled love of reading and takes a closer look at how fiction has the capacity to shine an important spotlight on societal issues of the day; her talk features valuable mentor input from best-selling author Susie Orman Schnall.
Rachel Lee: Exploring the intersection of art and the mind, Rachel Lee (17, South Korea) shows us how art therapy can bring healing and self-discovery to patients suffering today. "Art therapy is not just a form of treatment," Rachel states, citing role model artists and academics. "It is a beacon of hope for those facing the daunting journey of mental illness. It's about enriching lives one brushstroke at a time."
Tanisha Pal: Tanisha Pal (16, India) considers global reactions to LGTBQ relationships and then spotlights cultural biases existing in India. Using stories pulled from the news alongside multinational data, Tanisha brings an important discussion to the stage while encouraging us to "transmute viewpoints, question conventions, and construct a realm where love is boundless."
Erica (Minyoung) Song: This TED-Ed talk by Erica (Minyoung) Song (17, South Korea) starts with a personal story in medicine and then springboards into a wider examination about career choices in health care. Reaching out to medical students, she challenges today's youth to answer the profound question: What do you want to be?
Hallie Dong: With a clever title and startling statistics, this TED-Ed talk by Hallie Dong (16, United States) delves into the current state of teenage mental health and notes that, like canaries in coal mines, the collective mental state of today's youth is telling us something about our environment and society.
Srijanita Mauraya: In this culturally rich TED-Ed talk, Srijanita Mauraya (18, India) draws the threads of science and mythology together to weave an evocative and academic discussion. Quoting ancient texts in English and Sanskrit, Srijanita's talk takes us on a journey that illustrates how two very different subjects can be wonderfully intertwined.
Hope Faith Wiggins: Sparked by a friendship that began on social media, thirteen-year-old Hope Faith Wiggins (United States) initiates a call to action, fueled by stats and suggestions from pediatric oncology nurses, to raise awareness around the devastating diagnosis of childhood cancer.
This is how leadership starts.
And this is why early mentorship matters.
Because Aastha, Jacqueline and Tanisha saw injustices and wanted to right them.
Because Anika, Aiva and Arianna saw problems and sought to solve them.
Because Srijanita, Devika, Rachel and Lena had ideas and wanted to share them.
And because Winter Noel, Hallie, Erica and Hope Faith raised their voices to make people listen.
We are listening, and so are their TED-Ed mentors. And for these and so many other mentors, we are grateful.
Être’s national study on The State of Girls’ Confidence and the Impact of Early Mentorship told us that between the ages of 13 and 18 the percentage of girls who say they feel confident drops by 35%. It also told us that 86% of girls say they would be more confident with a mentor.
Watching our third season of TED-Ed talks makes that math come to life in vivid technicolor. Ranging in age from 10 and 18, these TED-Ed speakers are brimming with confidence and world-changing ideas.
I can’t wait for you to watch these talks.
Looking forward,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three extra things we love about the TED-Ed program that you won’t want to miss: TED-Ed has growing library of animated videos on nearly every student topic; TED-Ed offers a global network of highly engaging lesson plans for educators; and TED-Ed’s Blog answers every question we can think of…sparking even more questions and brand new ideas to share!
