Eastchester to Host TEDx Event

The Eastchester Union Free School District will open its doors to a number of esteemed visitors—and, by extension, the world—next month, when it hosts its first-ever TEDx event on Friday, Nov. 7.

Over the course of one morning, 14 speakers with a variety of educational and professional backgrounds will take the stage in the EHS Auditorium to deliver addresses concerning connection, community and education, and how these themes can often intersect.

The TEDx program—which is affiliated with TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conferences—runs roughly 3,000 independently-organized events globally each year, shining a light on important ideas through a community-focused lens and platforming these videos to reach a global audience. Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Assessment and Student Success Dr. William Meyer said that next month’s event is more than a year in the making, as Eastchester first reached out to TEDx representatives last fall to discuss hosting a talk of its own. After discussions to ensure that the Eastchester event would align with TED guidelines for content and aesthetics, the district quickly got to work booking speakers and preparing for this historic undertaking. 

“We applied last fall and we got the license to hold the talk last April; since then, we’ve been lining up our speakers, working out the staging and everything like that,” said Meyer. “It’s a great opportunity and we are super-excited about being able to hold this event; TED is a globally recognized brand that centers more on ideas than people and we love thinking about Eastchester as a center of ideas.”

Each of next month’s speakers bring a different area of focus and expertise to the event, as the roster includes Meyer, World Happiness Summit founder Karen Guggenheim, Nick Katsoris from the Loukoumi Foundation, Columbia University Professor Dr. Kelli Harding, EHS English teacher Jen Gavin, and alumni from both Eastchester and Bronxville High Schools.

The ability of the district to bring in such a distinguished roster of presenters speaks to Eastchester’s commitment to being a leader in educational discourse, explained EUFSD Superintendent Dr. Alison Villanueva. 

“As we proudly host this event, I believe Eastchester is carving out its place as a destination for innovative thought and trailblazing initiatives. We are interpreting what it means to learn, teach, and impact others,” said Villanueva. “We are unembarrassed to learn from others around the globe and are eager to break down boundaries in order to create more authentic learning experiences for our students.”

In addition, four current Eastchester students (Erika Lunenfeld, Joey Piergiovanni, Sarah Mortensen, and Maggie Hynes) will also take the stage to lend their voices to the proceedings. Lunenfeld, an EHS 12th grader, will speak about how to make one’s vulnerability a strength, an idea she said is especially important given how reticent individuals—especially teens—can be to discuss their feelings honestly.

“When you give a TED talk, it kind of has to represent your life in a sense, and my piece is about the power of vulnerability and softness as an act of rebellion and defiance,” she said. “I think it’s an important message because we live in a world where people are sometimes criticized for being too open. Especially in my generation, there’s value placed on being nonchalant.”

Meyer added that he has been working with each of the students to craft their narrative ahead of next month’s event, and he believes that this experience will be an important one, not only for the speakers, but also in terms of raising the bar for what other Eastchester students believe they can achieve.

“Given the major importance of giving a TED Talk, we felt it was important to identify strong candidates,” “But what we’re hoping for is that this will be an opening for a series of opportunities to amplify student voices on a variety of topics and in a number of different ways.”

Ultimately, Meyer said, taking advantage of opportunities like this one will only serve to strengthen Eastchester’s reputation as a leader in innovation.

“Obviously it’s about enriching the classroom experience and supporting great instruction, but that piece about student experience has to transcend the walls of the classroom,” he said. “You want to make the school at the center of the community, and the community to be kind of a larger beacon.

“This is a great example of how we can be a nexus for ideas and innovation by bringing people in, and exposing our staff and students to different ideas ” he added. “Down the road, we can talk more broadly about ways to bring our students out of the building and into the community in terms of their service and engagement.”

If you are interested in attending the Nov. 7 TEDx event, more information will be made available next week. Please be advised that space is limited.