TEDxYouth@Toronto 2013

Please note that, because of TEDx regulations, members of the media were not permitted to take photos. All photos in this article were obtained from TEDxYouth@Toronto photographers.

The longest running TEDxYouth event in the GTA dedicated to youth, TEDxYouth@Toronto was held this past weekend at the Ontario Science Centre. This is the fourth year this event was held. It was attended by over 200 high school students from the GTA and across Ontario. The event was watched by even more people through their livestream. This TEDx event was also chosen as the TEDxYouth anchor event, broadcasted worldwide.

This year’s theme, discovery, focuses on uncovering the new and traversed within ourselves, our communities and beyond. The theme encouraged the audience to reveal their true self, unravel the aspects of community, and experience breakthroughs through a series of inspirational talks.

The lineup of speakers, some of Toronto’s most accomplished leaders in areas of business, science, and sustainability, covers a broad spectrum of topics. One of the speakers was Katherine Hague, Co-Founder and CEO of ShopLocket. She had a very inspirational talk about how everyone should try to do what they love to do.

 Katherine Hague, Co-Founder and CEO of ShopLocket

Cameron D. Robertson and Todd Reichert, award-winning engineers of AeroVelo, recounted their tale of building a human-powered helicopter as well as the first human-powered flapping-wing aircraft. They went through many struggles and disappointments throughout the engineering process, despite being let down so close to success. Their journey inspired many young people in the audience to fulfil their dreams and never give up on a project.

Cameron D. Robertson and Todd Reichert, award-winning engineers of AeroVelo

The performances were also great. One very notable act was Michael Bridge with his digital accordion. He performed many pop hits including the Harry Potter theme using a digital accordion. He surely changed the audience's impressions on the “old-fashioned” instrument.

Michael Bridge with his digital accordion

The day ended with many inspired young people and with delicious cupcakes. People who watched the broadcast at home or attended in-person was filled to the brim with ideas to try out for themselves. This truly embodies the spirit of Ideas Worth Spreading.

This article was co-written by Martin Tam and Tim Mui.