On October 19, 2013 at TEDx Youth Bommer Canyon (Tedx YBC) will be hosting a conference at the RBM Theater at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa.TED is a nonprofit organization, formed by architect and graphic designer Richard Wurman in 1984, which hosts conferences that bring together people from three fields: technology, entertainment and design (TED).
The program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to communicate their ideas in public speaking at the local level.
TED attendees come from many different fields, but TED is a meeting place for those involved in community-based cultural, social and technological change.During TED conferences, any topic may be discussed as long as it is motivational and influences others.
TEDxYouthDay is a series of worldwide TEDx events which teach adolescents how to be confident and innovative.In addition to providing team-building experiences, participants learn how to influence the community with their thoughts and ideas through a combination of live speakers and TEDTalks to audiences around the world.
University High School (UHS) students Staphany Hou (Sr.) and Trina Sarkar (Sr.) are actively involved in the Orange County TEDx Youth Council. In 2012, Hou and Sarkar started as youth council leaders and speakers of the TEDx YBC’s conference.
When asked about her upcoming talk, Hou said, “I’m actually more excited to hear people’s reactions to my talk! My TEDx experience has taken the concept of ‘community outreach’ to an entirely new level, one where outreach is not limited to service but expands to include the broader range of sharing ideas and stimulating deeper thinking.”
This year, Hou will talk about the pressures teenagers face in defining their lives at an early age. Hou said, “We need well-rounded people who can create new solutions and act as the ‘glue’ in our community because of their variety of experiences and interests.”
In 2012, Sarkar spoke at her first local TED conference about her passion for dance in her speech “My Love Story with Dance.”When asked about her involvement at the upcoming TEDx YBC event, Sarkar said, “TED Talk is shaping to be very interesting! I have met physicians who moonlight as sports photographers and musicians who have applied their theory to mathematics.”
For anyone interested in attending the TEDx  Bommer Canyon Event on October 19, visit www.tedxyouthbommercanyon.com
Written by NIUSHA MALEKI
Staff Writer