The first TEDx Youth event was held at Shen Wai International School (SWIS) on Saturday. The theme of the event was “Glass Ceilings: Breaking Norms.” TEDxYouth@SWIS is the firstever TEDx youth event organized by SWIS. TEDx is an initiative by TED to give a platform for ideas worth sharing. “Glass Ceilings: Breaking Norms” represent barriers set by oneself and society. The event revolved around an individual’s idea of breaking norms and brings out the uniqueness of these individuals’ thoughts and actions. School Director Ally Wu welcomed the speakers and audience on the day of the event. Seven distinguished speakers were invited to give inspiring speeches on such subjects as the impact of popular culture on food choices that people make and its impact on the ecosystem, robotics and gene technology as well as alternative ways to raise money for charity through various technological platforms. There was also an emphasis on the importance of breaking language barriers in order to connect and inspire the rest of the world and how it can benefit enterprise and individuals alike. The SWIS TEDx event had an equal representation of female and male speakers. This highlighted that we live in a world of equality and that there should always be equal female-to-male representation. The theme also focused on how one can inspire themselves to do something beyond conventions to achieve a rewarding and satisfying career for themselves. Every talk was inspiring and unique from its counterparts on the day. “I have been associated with TED for five years and have done four other similar events prior to this TEDx youth event at SWIS. In my past experience, this TEDxYouth@SWIS event definitely stands out from the rest and in my opinion, it is the best that I have worked on and experienced so far,” said Jaikala Prasad, TEDxYouth@SWIS event organizer. TEDxYouth@SWIS will be back next year with a renewed license and a new theme to inspire today’s youth within our society. (SD-Agencies) | 