TEDYouth 2011

Play, Learn, Build and Share
Manhattan, NY
November 19, 2011

TEDYouth, our first-ever TED event for young people, was held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the TimesCenter in Manhattan. TEDYouth coincided with more than 100 self-organized TEDxYouthDay events happening worldwide over a 48-hour period. The theme for the day was "Play, Learn, Build and Share." Attendance was open, free of charge, to 300 students in the 6-12th grades within the New York area. Each of the 20 passionate speakers inspired creativity, shared mind-shifting stories, and engaged their physical and virtual audience in the way that every student deserves.

TEDYouth 2011 speakers

  • Adam Savage is a maker of things, building everything from spaceships to buddhas, from puppets to rifles, from sculptures to toys. He's best known for his role as cohost of the TV show MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. (Watch his TED Talk)
  • Robert Full studies cockroach legs and gecko feet. His research is helping build the perfect "distributed foot" for tomorrow's robots, based on evolution's ancient engineering. (Watch his TED Talks)
  • David Gallo is a pioneer in ocean exploration and an enthusiastic ambassador between the sea and those of us on dry land. (Watch his TED Talks)
  • Brad Meltzer is a best-selling author whose writing focuses on political thrillers. Most recently, he is the cohost of the History Channel's Decoded.
  • Déborah Berebichez, also known as "The Science Babe," studies the science behind everyday life, like the physics behind wearing high heels. (Watch her talk from TEDxEast)
  • Lemon Andersen is a Tony award-winning performer and spoken word artist who is also the subject of a newly released documentary film about his life called Lemon.
  • Leah Buechley is an MIT designer who mixes high and low tech to create smart and playful results. (Watch her Talk)
  • Juan D. Martinez is a National Geographic Explorer who dedicates his energy to grassroots campaigns — from healthcare and housing discrimination to creating garden space where he grew up in South Central LA.
  • Greg Gage has combined invertebrate preparations with off-the-shelf electronics, to create a kit that could provide insight into the inner workings of the body, specifically the brain. He is a TED2012 Fellow.
  • Arianne Cohen is the author of The Tall Book, where she shares the pros and cons of living life as a 6'3" woman.
  • Steve Stoute is one of the most influential voices in pop culture. His work examines how hip-hop has transformed a new generation, conquered the global marketplace and rewritten the rules of the new economy.
  • Jason Munshi-South is a researcher at Baruch College who studies the behavioral, ecological and evolutionary impacts of humans on the inhabitants of New York City parks.
  • Daniela Schiller is an assistant professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying emotional control.
  • Chris Anderson is the curator of the TED Conference. (Watch his TED Talks)
  • Garth Sundem is a mathematician who uses mathematics to answer everyday questions, such as whether to goof or study.
  • Ish Islam, Justin Long-Moton and Carvens Lissaint come from New York City's Urban Word program, and are three of its finest young poets.
  • Kevin Allocca is the trends manager of YouTube, where he tracks popular video phenomena. (Watch his TED Talk)
TEDYouth 2011 was generously supported by Kohl's Cares.

TEDYouth 2011 photo highlights