Equity in education, bullying, ATAR scaling, stereotyping women’s sports, AI, politics, society’s expectations and facing our fears were some of the highly engaging topics addressed at the inaugural TEDx Youth Event hosted recently by Mercedes College.
In the first TEDx event to be hosted by a Western Australian school, sixteen students presented talks under the theme Illuminate to a live audience of approximately 90 people.
Ten students presented individually and six presented in pairs on issues and ideas that mattered to them. The result was a diverse and unique expression of talks spanning personal experience, social issues and new perspectives.
The event was coordinated by the College’s Head of English, Callie Stevens, a passionate advocate for student voice who also helped establish the College’s Philosophy Club and the ASPIRE Gifted Program. Her vision for the event was inspired by a TEDx event she attended in 2022.
Year 10 student Grace Seeber received the People’s Choice Award for her speech on equity in education, drawing on her lived experience of Autism and highlighting the need for greater inclusion.
Principal Dr Lucie McCrory said it was a privilege to see students step forward with such confidence to participate in a globally recognised event and “share their passion, recognising that ideas are the seeds that change everything.”
Deputy Principal Kirsty Murphy said, “It was incredibly moving to see students who do not always seek the spotlight step forward and share such diverse, thoughtful ideas.”
“I left the event, and I suspect many others did too, with new perspectives that broadened ways of thinking. They were far more than talks; they truly illuminated us all.”
The inaugural TEDx Mercedes College Youth was the culmination of years of planning and a commitment to empowering young women to question, think critically and use their voice.
Established in 1984, TED is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.
