Gallery TED Conferences

TEDYouth, in pictures: What happens when 400 middle + high school students come to TED

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A TEDYouth attendee on the edge of his beanbag chair. Photo: Ryan Lash

TEDYouth 2013 was a blast. In session 1, Suzanne Simard taught us about the familial relationships of trees. In session 2, Maya Penn shared how she launched a business at 8 years old. And in session 3, Ashton Kutcher thrilled the crowd with a surprise talk on what it means to be a “magnificent failure.” Throughout it all, the 400 middle and high school students in attendance clapped, cheered, absorbed knowledge and shared a lot of their own.

Here, some incredible photos from TEDYouth. Half of them were taken by TED photographer Ryan Lash, while the other half were snapped by an intrepid group of youth volunteers, who brought a wonderfully unique eye to documenting the event.

The audience at TEDYouth. Well, they weren't much for staying in their chairs—which gave each talk a unique energy. Photo: Ryan Lash

The audience at TEDYouth often jumped to their feet. Oh, and kids got to take beanbag chairs home with them after the event. Photo: Ryan Lash

Henry Lin, who won this year’s Intel Science Fair for his models of galaxy clusters, delivers the message: "Science is a rough draft. There is so much that baffles us and challenges our understanding." Photo: Ryan Lash

Henry Lin, who won this year’s Intel Science Fair for his models of galaxy clusters, delivers the message: “Science is a rough draft. There is so much that baffles us and challenges our understanding.” Photo: Ryan Lash

Attendee Sevanah Howard shot this image of Tony DeRose, a Senior Scientist at Pixar Animation Studios. She explains, "He designed this really cool model of the old man playing chess. It was amazing to see what he could do with animation." Photo: Sevanah Howard

Attendee Sevanah Howard shot this image of Tony DeRose, Senior Scientist at Pixar Animation Studios. She explains, “He designed this really cool model of the old man playing chess. It was amazing to see what he could do with animation.” Photo: Sevanah Howard

Sarah Grammar snapped this photo of the TEDYouth audience, enrapt in a talk by Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell, who studies the ways elephant communicate and form family bonds. Photo: Sarah Grammar

Attendee Sarah Grammar snapped this photo of the TEDYouth audience, enrapt in a talk by Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell, who studies the ways elephant communicate and form family bonds. Photo: Sarah Grammar

During breaks, kids and teens at TEDYouth got to snap photos of themselves with the TED logo. Photo: Ryan Lash

During breaks, kids and teens at TEDYouth got to snap photos of themselves with the TED logo. Photo: Ryan Lash

During the breaks at TEDYouth, attendees were asked to use their creativity and create something. Photo: Ryan Lash

Booths around the event challenged attendees to use their creativity and make something. Photo: Ryan Lash

Attendee Sophie Fuselier was highly amused by , in which his tiny robots demonstrated how they communicate to form a straight line. Photo: Sophie Fuselier

Attendee Sophie Fuselier was highly amused by James McLurkin, whose swarm of tiny robots demonstrated how they communicate to form a straight line. Photo: Sophie Fuselier

Toyota was on the scene of TEDYouth, with a distracted driving simulator that underscored just how much of a driver's attention is zapped by reaching for something in the backseat or sending a text message. Photo: Ryan Lash

Toyota was on the scene of TEDYouth, with a distracted driving simulator that underscored just how much of a driver’s attention is zapped by reaching for something in the backseat or sending a text message. Photo: Ryan Lash

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TEDYouth co-host Kelly Stoetzel talks to a group of kids. Photo: Ryan Lash

Appearing through the Civic Theater in New Orleans—big red TED balloons. Photo: Sarah Grammar

Appearing throughout the Civic Theater in New Orleans—big, red, TED balloons. Photo: Sarah Grammar

BMike (Sevanah Howard)

One of the moments that most electrified the audience—a talk from Brandon Odums, who founded New Orleans’ 2-Cent Entertainment. Photo: Sevanah Howard

Henry Lin (Sarah Grammar)

Henry Lin looks to Henry Ford for an explanation of why we need to continue the study of space, even if it doesn’t make sense to everyone. Photo: Sarah Grammar

Rives socks (Sophie Fuselier)

TEDYouth co-host Rives shows off his socks. Photo: Sophie Fuselier

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Matt Kuchta’s big idea: build with sand. Photo: Ryan Lash

Whale bones (Sevanah Howard)

Speaker Joy Reidenberg had an exhibition table full of whale parts. Photo: Sevanah Howard

An attendee tries his hand at stop-motion, at TED-Ed's Animation Station. Photo: Ryan Lash

An attendee tries his hand at stop-motion, at TED-Ed’s Animation Station. Photo: Ryan Lash

A big thanks to the young photographers who helped out with this post!