Theme: Adjust Your Lens

TEDxYouth@GAA is a 4-hour event happening on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at GEMS American Academy Abu Dhabi with several speakers from the school community ranging between staff and students.

At GEMS American Academy Abu Dhabi, we are strong believers in the power of collaboration, critical thinking, and the promising potential of our youth. “We Inspire. We Challenge. We Innovate. We Care.” Therefore, this event is being independently organized by the students of Gems American Academy. Our team consists of a variety of open-minded students who all follow the IB trait profiles. We hope to spread and celebrate the spirit of ideas by bringing people together to share a TED-like experience.

“Adjust Your Lens” is the theme for this event. This theme urges individuals to start looking at the world in a different way than how society tells you to look at it. It shows how once a person starts looking at the world differently, it will affect his/her actions, his/her mental health and how he/she interacts with people. It inspires students to build the world around them the way they would like to look at it. The diversity of students at Gems American Academy will add on to the theme since each student will have their own story to tell about how changing their point of view affected each of them individually.

Empowering our youth to look at the world through different perspectives will allow them to express new ideas and opinions on the subsequent topics: Culture, Globalization, Modern Society, Pop-culture, Predictions for the Future, Advancement and Progress/ Innovation, and Youth Empowerment. “Adjust Your Lens” is an idea that impels today’s youth to grow and integrate into a worldwide network of ideas that will one day be a part of the change affecting our future generations.

At only 40 Aed ($10) you can have a spectacular TED-like experience, here at GAA!

GEMS American Academy
Madinat Khalifa A, Next Seha
Abu Dhabi, Abū Z̧aby, 145161
United Arab Emirates

Ahmed ElKarim Ahmed

Student

My name is Ahmed. I am fifteen years old, and originally from Sudan. I study in GAA under courses in Grade Nine. When I grow up to adulthood, I want to pursue studies in the world of medicine or architecture. I chose to give a TEDx talk because it is a big chance to express my everyday values.

Ashar Haque

My name is Ashar. I am a math educator, and today I'll be speaking with my wife, Farah. We're originally from India and Pakistan, therefore we never talk about cricket in our household; or it's a war zone. The reason we chose to talk on this topic is because it relates deeply to how we try to live our lives.

Carlos Garcia

Student

My name is Carlos and I am currently in grade 7, I decided to give a TEDx talk because many things we think we know are incorrect, but are still widely believed. I love music, games, wars, and strategy, I plan on becoming a politician or an astronaut,

Dhruv Nair

Student

My name is Dhruv, I am 14 years old and in 9th grade. My family is originally from India, but I was born and raised in the UAE. I decided to give a TEDx speech as it allows me to try something new and boost my confidence. A few of my passions are tennis, badminton, and reading. In the future, In the future, I hope to work in finance.

Divyanshu Gupta

Student

My name is Divyanshu, I am 14 years old, and I am from India. I am currently studying in grade 9. Some of my hobbies include playing cricket, playing the guitar, and overall being on top. The reason I chose to give a TEDx speech, is because I want to help today's society.

Farah Sami

Math Teacher

My Name is Farah. I'm a math educator at GAA. Today, I'll be speaking with my husband, Ashar. The reason we chose to speak on this topic is because we want to share our ideas on what we believe "Adjust your Lens" means to us. We hope our ideas can be incorporated in everyone's life.

Hajar Abdel-Motagaly

Student

I am Hajar. I am a 16 year old American-Egyptian. I am an 11th Grade IB Student who loves to talk about meaningful ideas other people don't discuss. I'm incredibly passionate about science, activism, and Disney. I dream of one day being an astronaut or a scientist.

Ismail Azab

Student

My name is Ismail, I'm 14 years old, and in the 9th grade. I am from Canada and Egypt. I chose to give a TEDx talk because I've never given a speech before. I also think it will build my confidence, and it will be a new experience. I plan to work in the medical field when I grow up.

John Thompson

English Teacher

My name is John. I teach IB English and IB CORE at GAA. I am originally from Texas,USA. This is my tenth year of teaching. I hold graduate degrees from Duke University and Harvard University (2019). I am passionate about helping students realize that learning happens beyond the walls of the classroom.

Krishna Patel

Student

Hi! My name is Krishna. I am 14 and in 8th grade at GEMS. I am from Houston, Texas in the USA. Reasons I am doing this talk: First, my parents inspired me to do something new this year, and secondly, this topic was interesting for me. I play the piano, and enjoy reading.

Lekh Bhatia

Student

My name is Lekh, my family is from India. I was born in the UAE, and raised in Australia. I'm an aspiring theoretical physicist who loves learning concepts in math and physics. My passion for learning leads me here today, to discuss how we can revolutionize education.

Mateo Salgado

Student

My name is Mateo, I'm currently in the ninth grade, and I am a 15 year old Colombian. I love listening to music and beat boxing. I decided to give a TEDx talk because I found this topic extremely interesting, and has a variety of different aspects to it. I want to be a Micro mechanic when I grow up.

Preethika Kannan

Student

I am Preethika, I'm 14, and in grade 9. I am from India. The reason I chose TEDx is because my partner and I found an issue that we could both connect to and talk to other people about. My passions include playing badminton, reading, and painting. I don't have any plans for my future yet, but I love the social sciences.

Rawan Elfadel

Student

My name is Rawan. I'm 17 years old and in grade 12. The reason I want to give a TEDx talk is because I think of it as a very good experience to have. My passion is public speaking. In addition to that, I love music, reading, and writing. I plan to be an influencer.

Ria Swaminathan

Student

My name is Ria and I am 13 years old. I wanted to use this opportunity to convey a message to everyone, and have an impact on the society in some meaningful way. I am from India. When I grow up I aspire to become a dancer or a lawyer.