So how did a high school get involved with TED?
History
In March 2017, 5 Saint Francis students (Anjana Iyer, Tiffany Cabrera, Arrian Ebrahimi, Nicole Kim, and Aishani Aatresh) gave TEDx talks at Sacred Heart Cathedral's TEDxYouth@SHC event. They were so inspired by the opportunity and wanted to bring such an event back to Saint Francis but with a special, homegrown twist -- and that’s how SF Talks began.
Saint Francis hosted the inaugural SF Talks in April 2018, and the second-annual event in March 2019, featuring about 30 speakers between the two years. Our team was incredibly impressed with the success of both events and the support from the entire school and wider community. Along with the school, we decided that it was time to infuse the Saint Francis spirit into an official TEDx event to take this opportunity to the next level.
We’re all very excited to be on this journey and look forward to sharing it with you.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Vancouver, British Columbia. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; TED Translators, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED has established The Audacious Project that takes a collaborative approach to funding ideas with the potential to create change at thrilling scale; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self- organized TED-style events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.
About Saint Francis High School
Founded in 1955 by the Brothers of Holy Cross at the invitation of the Archbishop of San Francisco, Saint Francis High School is a leading coeducational, diverse, Catholic, college preparatory school focused on educating the whole person. With a proven reputation for excellence in academics, athletics, activities and the arts, over 100 faculty members prepare approximately 1700 Saint Francis students for the rigors of college and the challenges of global citizenship in the enduring Holy Cross tradition. Graduating students attend the finest colleges and universities in the nation with 97% of the 2017 graduates admitted to a four-year university and 100% attending college. Saint Francis High School is located in Mountain View, Calif., approximately 35 miles south of San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.sfhs.com.
Saint Francis High School, sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross, admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin. The school does not discriminate based on disability if the student is otherwise qualified and can, with reasonable accommodations, meet the graduation requirements of the school.