Theme: New Ways of Thinking for the Ever Changing World

14 youth grade 7-12 speakers from across the Halton Region come together to deliver their innovative ideas to the challenges we face today.

This event is now done. See images from our TEDx event here on Flikr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/169314052@N02/! See our amazing talks on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsRNoUx8w3rNvjIXmCpXd4Kt-Cn2SZg8O

Abbey Park High School Theatre
1455 Glen Abbey Gate
OAKVILLE, Ontario, L6M 2G5
Canada

Aaru Chandru

Student

I will provide perspectives based on my following experiences and successes: 1. I am an accomplished public speaker and have won many awards at various public speaking competitions: Royal Canadian Legion. 2. As Student Council Member at Oakville Trafalgar High School, I represent other students’ interests at Student Council and Student Senate meetings. This has provided me further experience as a public speaker. 3. As Founder & Chief Editor of Fern Hill School Times newspaper, I led many discussions on how to think outside-the-box and improve student life, including organizing Pink Day events to tackle the problem of bullying. 4. I have always wanted to change or impact the world and went this summer to visit a home for disabled children in India where I will volunteer next year. I am also on the Youth Committee of Aim For Seva Canada, an organization that raises funds to build residential schools for underprivileged children in India.

Alisha Ahmed

First of all, I served as a Legislative Page in Ontario’s parliament last winter. Being in Parliament not only helped me meet many people who are actively changing our province and country, but also are adapting to this changing environment and working to keep us going forward. I watched as they debated and passed different monumental bills, and this helped me to develop a further understanding of how our world is changing so rapidly, and how you have to keep thinking about moving forward. This also showed me that since the world is changing so exponentially, the current pace at which we are moving is not enough. We need these innovative ways of thinking to keep up with our changing world, and I think that is why I am perfect to speak to this topic. I understand the importance of it, and I would be very passionate about it. I have applied these strategies into my daily life, and through “slowing down,” I realized I thoroughly enjoy creative writing, and since dedicating more time to that, I’ve placed 2nd in Oakville’s short story contest. This shows that I am actually close and have a personal connection to what I would be speaking about. It’s a topic that is really intriguing and I would put my very best into making this speech incredible. Thank you for your consideration!

Alyssia Sheechoria

Alyissa is a Grade 12 student at Craig Kielburger Secondary School. Alyissa has always been very interested in social advocacy and justice. In school, she’s used projects in class to educate her peers on issues such as the spectrum of discrimination, residential schools and mental health. Alyissa will be speaking about being grateful for the time that you have and utilizing your time in school to do what you love as well. In the future, Alyissa hopes to pursue a career in professional communications. She hopes to work for a non-profit one day, she believes “Why should people (students in particular) have to choose between a job that pays well and a job that does good?”

Arielle Ainabe

Throughout high-school, we have been knee-deep in the exploration of science. With the start of the STEM club in our 10th year, our science community has been growing ever since. In our constantly changing world, STEM is key for advancements. Soon enough, new jobs will emerge and the sciences will be more important than ever. This is why we are so committed to STEM; we believe that the skills we learn now will help us shape the world in the future. As an exhibitor of award-winning science fair projects for the past 5 years, Arielle gives back by being a student advisor on the organizing committee for the regional fair. Arielle is also an air cadet, serving her community by mentoring younger cadets and participating in community parades. In addition to her achieving her pilot’s license through the program. Arielle also enjoys music and plays clarinet for the senior band and plays piano and cello in her spare time. Arielle is always looking for new ways to explore which is why she chose to pursue STEM, the sky is not the limit! Ellie has not only been a co-founder of the STEM club for the last three years, she has also explored her passions by gathering aspiring young-adults and starting the HOSA - future health professionals - team, as a part of the FIRST Robotics team, devoting months of a year into her award-winning science fair projects, and many other extracurriculars. In her spare time, she loves to create art pieces in a variety of mediums and enjoy a good book. Through her experiences, she was inspired by the determination, curiosity, ideas, and stories of others and hopes she can inspire people in return. In the last few years, she has learned invaluable lessons, but above all, she knows that there will always be more to learn and how much their application can change our world for the better.

Brianna Ilancheran

In grade 7, I wrote a French speech western beauty standards and won out of my class, and then out of my school. I made it to regionals, and the judge told me he wished the speech was in English because it should have been understood by the whole room. I made it to provincials and the judge thanked me for my topic. The entire experience taught me that voices, no matter how young, no matter who from, are important. That there is always someone who needed to hear those words. As a public speaker, I have experience in both French and English. In grades 7 and 8, I made it to Provincials for both Prepared and Impromptu speaking in French. In grade 8, I won Halton Regionals for Prepared speaking in English. Speaking in front of people is something I love because it's helped me to grow as a student and a person. The stage has taught me to seek out knowledge and share it in a way that my audience learns that same hunger. I speak because I want to inspire others, because the people around me are often the ones that inspire me the most. Even my TED Talk was inspired by a conversation with a friend of mine; when I give a speech, I make it a conversation. I don't have wisdom that comes with age, but, as a person who is just beginning high school, I'm in this place where I'm learning a lot of new things and integrating that with things I've already held within me. I believe that this period of change will help me speak about change and the ways we think about it and deal with it because, well, that's been my life for the past few months (especially with midterms. Where did this come from. Why are they here. No one told me about them.) Innovation means creativity. It means critical thinking. It means diversity. The opportunity to weave my thoughts into something tangible in order to share those same values on a larger spectrum is something almost unimaginable to me... but it's something that I think I can do.

Diya Tomar

Throughout my life, I’ve been surrounded with family members who have accomplished grand heights, and so there has always been an expectation that I rise to that level or even higher. My great uncle was an agriculture scientist who was invited to Russia to teach students in the biggest agricultural university, and was invited to work with Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug to teach agriculture students in New Mexico. From there on, people in my family have achieved much, and so the expectation has grown for me that I bring something new to the table. That I be creative, innovative, that I make a difference. Up until now, I’ve been working on projects to make my mark. I’ve raised over $2000 in my school alone for female education. I’ve been given the opportunity to meet and interview innovators from Tesla, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, NASA, and have been able to interview Chris Hadfield. I’ve learnt so much from the people I’ve met that it has inspired me to reach new heights. After being awarded the Legacy Award and the Citizenship Award, it has pushed me to put my vision forward. Innovation is at its peak. New technologies are being introduced to our evolving society, and societal views are changing around the world as our society is becoming more diverse, although we have a large mass of people who still think in the old lense. I believe that if I am given the platform to speak at the TEDxYouth event, it will be a great opportunity for me to share my thoughts and my vision, and I believe that the topic that I have chosen is a topic that should be brought to attention.

Eleeza Rafiq

I believe that I am the right candidate to speak about this topic as I feel that I have had many opportunities/ experience that challenge this idea, as well as support it. I run an annual Charity group during the month of Ramadan, to raise awareness for people who need assistance, funding, and/ or food. The group was started in 2014 and is called the Ramadan Rangers. A few events in my life that make me a successful candidate is that in 2017, I was awarded the Oakville-North Burlington Sesqui - Centennial award that occurs every 40 years! I have met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a few times now, I receive a lot of support from the Minister of Parliament Pam Damoff (she is always supporting my Charity Group), and recently I met MP Maryam Monsef at a meeting, who is also Canada’s Minister of Status of Women. She is all about Girl Power and how Girls can make a difference in this constantly changing world. To stay healthy, I play Rep Volleyball for the Defensa volleyball club in Burlington. I attend Orchard Park Public School and recently won the Elementary school Halton Volleyball championships for the second year in a row! I consider myself a risk taker and I live to challenge myself. Speaking in front of a large audience would not only be a great opportunity, but a challenge I invite.

Ellie Xu

We will be talking about our experiences in the STEM world throughout our lives and how they converge in the experiences we share in high school. We will discuss our different stories and perspectives and their values to the world as well as life lessons that are crucial to innovative thinking.

Ethan Parikh

Ethan Parikh is a Grade 10 student at Appleby College. In his spare time, Ethan enjoys playing team sports such as soccer and basketball. Ethan will be speaking about the disadvantages of growing up in a poor environment. He speaks about even something as small as having shoes can create social change. He hopes to make a contrast between what many of us in Canada have as opposed to many people around the world. Ethan chose to speak about this topic after he was inspired by his trip to Kenya is 2018.

Isaac Boutin

Isaac Boutin is a Grade 12 student at HillField Strathallan College in Hamilton. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey and running. One of Isaac’s many goals is to run a marathon by the age of 18. Isaac will be speaking about the struggles he has gone through. During his talk, he will give anecdotes about his struggles concerning ADHD, OCD and Tourettes. He is excited to speak at a TED event because he has always enjoyed speaking publicly and enjoyed sharing his views on life. You can learn more about Isaac from a couple of his podcasts, links are below! In the future, Isaac hopes to pursue a career in Commerce. Perhaps we see podcasts in his future as well?

Kiran Kumar

In my journey to founding my movement, I learn something about my team. What I have recently found to apply to youth around the country. That we are the largest untapped reservoire of talent in the world. After learning this, I have shaped the movement to not only exploit this resource for the cause, but to provide a platform for the students to start their own projects which they are passionate about. We want our students to be creative and to innovate. Is it challenging - yes, but I’ve never had a student complain. I encourage and enable my peers and team to do this everyday and that’s why I would be the most suitable to talk about how adaptability, transferable skills, and ability to innovate must be kept alive in this world.

Maeve Zamuner

Maeve Zamuner is a Grade 8 student at WH Morden Public School. During her spare time, she enjoys playing sports, reading and musical theatre. Maeve will be speaking about using visual thinking to enhance learning through thinking routines in Notebooks. Maeve is involved in her school’s change club where they support different fundraisers and assemblies. She is excited to speak at our TED event because she has always loved to share her ideas and get involved.

Mostafa El Sharkawi

Mostafa El Sharkawi is a Grade 12 student at Garth Webb Secondary School. In school, Mostafa is the President of MUN and participates in both mock trials and LINK crew. Mostafa’s speech will be about the importance of change and discomfort. Mostafa speaks from a point of personal experience, having moved from school to school 10 times, he learned that change is the biggest asset you could ask for. Moving to Canada in Grade 11, Mostafa is all too familiar to change, his hope is to bring some perspective to change and demonstrate what it has done for him. Mostafa hopes to go on to study international relations or political science. One day, he would like to work in the government.

Sricherry Nannapenni

My speech will be about the mindset and psychological thinking of a female wrestler.