12 TEDx Talks by Seattle-Area Students to Spark Conversation With Kids

Kids these days

There’s a lot of grumpy tweeting (X-ing?) out there about Gen Z’s disdain for email and disinterest in books that take longer than a YouTube video to read. However, in my experience as a former humanities teacher and current mom to a teenager, I’ve found that when kids have the opportunity to really be heard, they are not only sharp and hilarious communicators, but their ideas are often boldly hopeful as they imagine what kind of future they want to be part of.

Together with my Seatown Story Collective partner-in-pedagogy Jerome Hunter, I had the good fortune of joining 12 Seattle-area students, ages 11 through 17, through three months of interactive classes at the University of Washington last spring. Over the course of our class, our students transformed their biggest ideas into TEDx talks, and in the process Jerome and I had the great privilege of witnessing them become the kind of brilliantly human presenters that the Big Red Dot is famous for.

On May 25, 2024 we gathered at the Ballard Branch of the Seattle Public Library for Seattle’s first-ever TEDxBallardYouth showcase, and, as we knew they would, our all-youth lineup of speakers stunned and inspired the room, which was packed to capacity.

These are their brave TEDx talks. From an unflinching exploration of divorce from a daughter’s perspective, to a lesson on “rice eating clothes” learned from an Iranian grandfather, these talks aren’t just for kids — they’re for anyone ready to think differently about the world.

1. How to be a chatterbox: A lesson from my Iranian grandpa

During the lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, sixth grader Maya Dehghan stayed connected to her Iranian grandfather through regular video calls. Through these calls, Maya not only learned the folktales of her family’s culture and became fluent in Farsi, she also gained a valuable lesson on the power of sharing across generations.

Maya lives in West Seattle. She loves theater and debate, and when she’s not in front of an audience, she enjoys reading realistic fiction and creating book review and science videos on YouTube.

2. Lady Luck and the 3.5 steps to gaslighting yourself into success

Ada Lu started a “cult” with their speech and debate classmates. In the process, Ada learned how impactful the placebo effect, a little luck and a lot of conviction can be for anyone looking to succeed, from winning debates to managing pain. Merging their real-life experiment with data-backed studies, Ada’s talk is as entertaining as it is informative.

Ada is a 15-year-old first year student at the University of Washington with the Robinson Center’s UW Academy program. As a writer, they are interested in telling the stories they wish they had read as a child.

3. How to be whitewashed just enough

Kamakshi Shirodkar is one of the only South Asian students at her school and in her friend group. In this brave talk, Kamu shares her journey to self-acceptance and pride in her culture, while examining the impact of the underrepresentation of Indian women in mainstream media.

Kamakshi is an eighth grader in Seattle. She is the founder of the Desi Affinity Group at her school where she is also a leader in the student government.

4. Divorce from the daughter’s perspective

Because her parents are divorced, Haley Foster has two homes. Despite the weekly back-and-forth that sometimes results in exhaustion and a misplaced backpack, Haley is a self-proclaimed “overachiever” as a nationally recognized equestrian, a core member of her school’s student leadership team, a golfer and a soccer player. In this unflinching talk, Haley explores the emotional toll of being a daughter of split between two worlds and offers actionable, kid-focused strategies to make divorce a little more manageable for the whole family.

Haley is an eighth grader in Seattle. She aspires to become a veterinarian.

5. Breaking the happy cow illusion: Understanding the dangers of humane washing

Did you know chickens who make “cage free” eggs may only have an iPad-sized space to roam? Dorothy Bryan believes that animal ethics and conservation go hand-in-hand. In this compassionate talk, Dorothy shares sweet insights from her experience volunteering for an organic farm, while unpacking how misleading marketing tactics hide the cruelty of where much of our food comes from.

Dorothy is a 10th grader. She’s a softball player and an animal lover. When she’s not in school working with animal sanctuaries, she’s at home with her Jack Russell terrier, Ripley.

6. How taking a picture at The Great Wall taught me to think for myself

While visiting China with his family, Anthony Bruce had an unforgettable experience at the Great Wall with a fellow sightseer who was more interested in Anthony’s mixed-race family than one of the world’s seven wonders. In this intimate and thought-provoking talk, Anthony explores his relationship to his cultural identities and examines how political superpowers may be influencing our thinking.

Anthony is a ninth grader. He’s a trumpet player and a Sabre fencer. For Anthony, public speaking has always been a challenge, but he proudly found his voice in bringing his TEDx talk to the stage. He hopes to take his learnings from Seatown Story Collective and start a public speaking club at his high school.

7. Lemons, cockroaches and rain: 3 important lessons from rejection

Academically and professionally, Jinie Chon is thriving. She entered college at 16 and this fall she will be starting the second half of her undergraduate program at Stanford University. In this vulnerable TEDx talk, Jinie shares how her experiences of rejection and disappointment have taught her resilience and led to life-changing opportunities, illustrating the importance of embracing setbacks as opportunities for learning and personal development.

Jinie is a 17-year-old undergraduate student who recently transferred to Stanford University. She was previously an honors student at the University of Washington with the Robinson Center where she double-majored in Philosophy and Law. She is the 2023–24 Reporting Fellow with The Family Court Report.

8. Life lessons I learned while riding the bus

Finn Leong is the last guy in his friend group to ever ask for a ride. In this funny and actionable talk, Finn shares how riding the Seattle Metro has taught him independence and compassion, while illustrating how important these lessons are for today’s teens. This talk also shares about the impact of the Move Ahead Washington initiative, and outlines action steps that anyone can take part in to ensure that youth continue to have access to public transportation.

Finn is a 10th grader. He is a youth DJ with KEXP, a member of MoPOP’s Youth Advisory Board and a 2023 EchoX Journalism Fellow. Finn believes that everyone has a story to tell.

9. What I learned from forcing my friends to support me

Daniel Le is a charismatic leader at school and on stage, but what peers and audience members may not realize is that behind his confidence, Daniel struggles with imposter syndrome. In this personal talk, Daniel explores how images of masculinity in popular culture influence how young men see themselves, and shares how he learned to ask for help and support.

Daniel is an 11th grader. He is an International Baccalaureate student and he is also part of the Running Start program at North Seattle College.

10. How my parents’ divorce helped me find my voice

In this fearless and heart-warming talk, Grayson Niccolls shares how her experience of her parents’ divorce taught her how important communication is for everyone who’s part of a family. Through shocking statistics and a vulnerable look back at her early days as a daughter caught between split parents, Grayson illustrates just how invaluable it is to remember that kids go through divorces right alongside their parents.

Grayson is an eighth grader in Seattle. She’s captain of her soccer team and part of her school’s leadership crew. She believes that parents and kids should work together to navigate divorce and family changes.

11. How to identify the toxic people in your life

Yunyao Victoria Bai set out to develop a TEDx talk that outlined ways for viewers to be able to identify and remove toxic people from their lives. To her surprise, what happened instead was that Victoria reflected on her own actions and realized that she had been hurtful to her friends in the past. In this vulnerable talk, Victoria lets viewers into her journey of self-discovery and offers strategies for young people who are trying to navigate peer relationships with kindness and self-awareness.

Victoria is a sixth grader. She’s a Lead Student Ambassador and a competitor on her school’s debate team. She says she enjoys sharing her stories, especially if her experiences can help others.

12. Art hurts and that’s why you have to make it

In this courageous talk, Bea Bunker explores youth mental health and shares how creating art has helped her navigate the joys and challenges of her experience as a transgender girl. With dynamic visuals from Bea’s collection, this talk offers both hope and creative inspiration.

Bea is a ninth grader. She’s an artist and storyteller who is interested in human rights issues, Dungeons & Dragons and other interactive stories.

Editor’s note: Seatown Story Collective is co-founded by ParentMap’s senior editor, Kristin Leong.