TEDxYouthParkCity Returns 5/4

TEDxYouthParkCity returns to The Eccles Center on May 4. A locally curated, satellite spinoff of the internationally renowned TED conference, the event is created specifically for youth in junior high and high school. The full-day event (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is free and open to 300 students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Adults may also attend the event, but seating is limited to 50 seats in the balcony section of the theater. To register for the conference, please email: admin@ecclescenter.org. For more information, please call Park City Institute at 435-655-8252.

TED, which stands for "technology, entertainment and design," is a growing organization of forward thinkers who are dedicated to "ideas worth sharing." At the TEDxYouthParkCity event, fifteen students (13 Summit County teenagers, one Park City High School 2015 graduate, and one Salt Lake City youth) will present five- to 12-minute talks centered on the conference theme: "Dream." And in accordance with TEDx parameters, the talks/performances will not be religious, political or self-serving.

"These students are very brave," says PCI executive director Teri Orr, who curates the event and intensely coaches each speaker prior to the main event. "Their talks reveal what matters to teenagers. As they delve into bullying, testing, immigration, dyslexia, sports, autism and more, each student delivers her (or his) ideas in a poignant and personal way. It's remarkable."

Like a TED conference, this independently organized satellite event is designed to bring people together and stimulate dialogue and innovation. In addition to the student talks, the day will include selections from TED conferences, "surprise" elements, lunch, snacks, hands-on activities and time for discussion. Adults are relegated to the balcony because this is an event specifically designed for students. Or as Orr puts it, "It's really a day for the kids."

Of note: TEDxYouthParkCity is a full-day commitment (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Prior registration and full-day attendance is required in order to reap all the benefits of the event.