2. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Contents
Youth@MileHigh
PG. 1: INTRODUCTION
PG. 2: EVENT OVERVIEW
PG. 3: VENUE
PG. 4: VENUE PHOTOS
PG. 5: ENGAGE WITH US
PG. 6: TEAM + 2015 INFO
PG. 7: CURRICULUM
PG. 12: PRESENTING SPONSOR
3. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Emergence
At TEDxMileHigh, we have a deep appreciation for leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and
genuine civic engagement. Leadership and innovation are clearly intertwined, for to be a leader,
innovating is often a must. Likewise, entrepreneurs essentially are leaders in their space; they
are the first to accomplish something important. Community amplifies this. When two or more
people align to a common vision, it is incredible what can unfold. The context is important too;
in this age of digital everything, we still need shared personal experience and direct human
connection. In order to continue building a greater sense of community in the Mile High region,
we have to really know each other.
I first started engaging friends and colleagues in 2007 about organizing an ‘event’
to convene a diverse group of leaders and innovators in our Colorado community. As a
long-time fan of TED, I learned about the TEDx program in 2009. TEDx offers a truly powerful
brand that aligns wonderfully with our vision and will leverage the best of our thinking and doing
throughout the region and to the world. Now, nearly five years later, we’re on the home stretch
for our sixth event and you’re a crucial part of that.
TEDxYouth@MileHigh is an opportunity to elevate and celebrate the amazing ideas and young
people here in Colorado. We are pioneers in so many ways – in health, the arts, food systems,
business thinking, technology and much more. Working with myriad leaders and innovators
through TEDxMileHigh has only cemented this feeling – our communities are literally filled with
extraordinary people. By spending time taking in the truly remarkable people and ideas of this
region, we will all be inspired to work together – to be ‘inspired citizens’ of Colorado – building a
better future for all of us and generations to come.
This packet is intended to help you prepare for TEDxYouth@MileHigh. Please take this
opportunity to pass along this information to anyone who will be attending the event. We
aim to create broad social impact that will occur well beyond a single day of inspiration, so we
encourage you and your students to engage over the coming month through conversations on
Facebook and Twitter and through discussions in the classroom. TEDxMileHigh is committed to
showcasing and accelerating innovation and social impact. We hope to do this, in part, by
encouraging students to be creative and innovative leaders in their lives and in the community.
John Gardner, the founder of Common Cause said: “Bet on good people doing good things.”
You were invited to participate in this year’s event with this statement in mind. I want to
genuinely thank you for making this happen. Along with the many organizers and supporters of
this effort, TEDxYouth@MileHigh could not happen without you.
Thank you for your involvement with TEDxYouth@MileHigh and, more importantly, for working for
our emerging leaders and serving as a tremendous role model for your students and broader
community.
JEREMY DUHON, CURATOR
4. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Event Overview
TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014 will showcase Colorado’s maverick thinkers and doers, big risk
takers, explorers, entrepreneurs and innovators, activists, humanitarians – all extraordinary
people who will each give the “talk of their life” to a young Colorado audience. The day will
include performance and talks from about 10 of the state’s leading thinkers and doers who will
stimulate, educate, and enrich us as they take a concise 3-15 minutes to inspire us by showing
through their talk how they have accomplished something big and share the lessons they
learned in the process.
SPEAKERS
Please refer to the website, TEDxYouthMH.com, for updated information on speakers and
performers.
EXHIBITS LOUNGE
The Exhibits Lounge is an opportunity for students to engage in interactive content before the
event and during intermission. Please refer to the website for more information.
SCHEDULE/SEATING
The schedule will be online at tedxyouthmh.com/schedule. Please refer to the website for
up-to-date information about scheduling. Please also plan to stay for the whole conference
unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond your control. In regards to seating, we will
assign seats so that groups will sit together. Ushers will be available to answer any questions or
help you find seats.
FOOD/DRINK
Please plan to have students eat a substantial lunch before the event. Water will be
available and provided to everyone who attends.
SMARTPHONES/CELL PHONES
Please allow students to bring their cell phones to the event (if they have them). We are
encouraging tweeting, chatting, instagramming, and communicating. The only exception is that
we do not allow video recording of the talks. This is an opportunity for students to engage in big
ideas, share perspectives, critique the event and talks, and own a part of the community
dialogue.
RESPECT
During the live event and throughout the day, we are expecting students to be respectful in all
ways. Although we will have a lot of volunteers to help manage the crowd, we are asking that
teachers prep students on how to be an excellent TEDxYouth@MileHigh attendee.
JEREMY DUHON, CURATOR
5. THE ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE
1000 14th Street, Denver, CO 80204, 303-893-4100, www.denvercenter.org
TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Venue
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, colloquially known as “the Ellie,” is the premier venue inside the
historic Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium. A world-class acoustical hall designed in the
lyric style, the Ellie has four levels: the balcony, loge, mezzanine and orchestra. This magnificent
space is humidified and provides state-of-the-art technical support as well as acousitical
excellence and clean sight lines. The Ellie is one of only three opera houses in the United States,
one of nine world-wide, with seatback tilting at every seat in the house. The Ellie was designed to
attract top artists to the Mile High city and to make their performances unforgettable. We will use a
screen and projection system as well as the Ellie’s tremendous lighting and audio capabilities.
BUSES
We will be helping to coordinate logistics of the event through email. Please be on lookout for
emails from Nicole Dill and Ashley Tillman to help your buses arrive safely and smoothly.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
From the south:
Take I-25 north toward downtown Denver to the Speer Blvd exit. Exit on Speer Blvd (212) and turn
south (right). Follow Speer for approximately one mile to Arapahoe Street. Turn left on Arapahoe
and the DPAC parking garage is on your immediate right between Speer and 14th Street.
From the north:
Take I-25 south toward downtown Denver to the Speer Blvd exit. Exit on Speer Blvd (212) and turn
south (left). Follow Speer for approximately one mile to Arapahoe Street. Turn left on Arapahoe and
the DPAC parking garage is on your immediate right between Speer and 14th Street.
From the east:
Take I-70 west to I-25 South toward downtown Denver to the Speer Blvd exit. Exit on Speer Blvd
(212) and turn south (left). Follow Speer for approximately one mile to Arapahoe Street. Turn left on
Arapahoe and the DPAC parking garage is on your immediate right between Speer and 14th
Street.
From the east:
Take I-70 east to I-25 South toward downtown Denver to the Speer Blvd exit. Exit on Speer Blvd
(212) and turn south (left). Follow Speer for approximately one mile to Arapahoe Street. Turn left on
Arapahoe and the DPAC parking garage is on your immediate right between Speer and 14th
Street.
PARKING
The eight-stoy, DPAC parking garage is located onsite and can accomodate 1,700 vehicles.
Garage entrances are located on Arapahoe and 13th streets. Additional parking is available at the
Colorado Convention Center Parking Garage located at Speer Blvd and Champa Street, just 2
blocks south of the DPAC garage.
NEED HELP?
Contact Nicole Dill, Operations Director, at nicole@tedxmilehigh.com or 303.513.2818
7. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Engage with us!
TEDxYouth@MileHigh is an opportunity to engage in dialogue and conversation
around the power of innovation, ideas, leadership, and building a better Colorado.
Here’s how you and your students can participate:
TEDxYOUTHMH.COM
FB.COM/TEDXYOUTHATMILEHIGH
TWITTER: @TEDxYOUTHMH
INSTAGRAM: @TEDxYOUTHMH
#TEDxYOUTHMH
8. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Team + Youth Board
INTRODUCTION
This year, TEDxMileHigh organizers built out a youth team who did much of the work
pre-event. After a competive interview process, ten students from a variety of
schools, backgrounds, and ages were selected.
The students have been working on various areas of event organizing since January,
and have participated in both professional development and hands-on training.
We’ve been so impressed with the students — their drive, committment, and effort
has been enormously influential in producing TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014.
We’re looking to build this team even bigger in 2015. To stay involved, please email
us at Ashley@TEDxMileHigh.com with the subject “YOUTH BOARD INQUIRY.”
THE YOUTH BOARD
To find out more about the students on the board, please visit TEDxYouthMH.com
Community Outreach Team
Nick Bain, Colorado Academy
Kimi McBryde, DSST
Karen Villar, York International
Technology and Website
Patrick Liu, Lakewood High School
Kai Kloepfer, Fairview High School
Marketing and Communications
José Catarino, Hinkley High School
Eva Davidson, Fairview High School
Efrem Sharew, East High School
Sustainability
Katie Li, Fairview High School
Kyla Killinger, DSST
Adult Leads
Jeremy Duhon, Curator
Ashley Tillman, Youth Director
Brian Payer, Sustainability Director
Micah Williams, Marketing Director
Jason Dilg, Producer
9. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Curriculum and Preparation for Teachers, Page 1
Grade Level: 6-12 (can be modified)
Subject: Reading, Writing, and Communication
Educational Standards
Content Area: Reading, Writing, and Communication.
Standard 1: Oral Expression and Listening
Overview and Purpose:
This brief (45min-1.5hr) lesson plan is meant to educate student attendees on what they will be
experiencing at TEDxYouth@MileHigh. The plan will not identify individual speakers and the talks
they will be sharing on that day, but rather seeks to give students a deeper understanding of the
relevance of TED concepts in their lives - that is: creating and developing ideas, communicating
them clearly and succinctly, and sharing them with the broader community.
Without delivering this plan, students will still be able to attend and have a powerful experience.
This is not mandatory before attending the event, but is recommended so that students can get
more out of the experience--before, during, and after. ADAPT TO FIT YOUR CLASS :)
Students will be able to:
-Identify 2-3 ideas that have changed the course of the world.
-Explain how communication+community leads to the spread and implementation of ideas
-Identify components of a great TED talk
-Feel prepared to be a great participant at TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014
Materials/Prep Needed:
-Write on notecards with the following and tape underneath a few random chairs: whisper,
talk with eyes down, yell, wild arm movements while talking, walk around quickly while talking,
mumble
-Paper/pencil for each student
-Computer and projection screen/tv
-Internet site loaded: http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html
-Photos of lightbulb, MLK, and internet (attached)
Activity/Process:
1. DO NOW (student writing on their own on paper in complete sentences):
a. What is an idea?
b. Where does an idea come from?
c. What makes a great idea (this is extremely relative---that’s the goal. Sometimes, truly
great ideas sound like bad ideas and vice versa)?
2. Think, pair-share with neighbor about each bullet point above.
3. Share out, write on board divided in three sections for each bullet point. Be sure to explain
the concept that “great ideas” change from person to person, but there are a few areas that
generally stand out. If the students came up with enough, discuss what an idea is, where it comes
from, and what makes an idea great. Also explain that EVERYONE can have great ideas.
continued on next page
10. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Curriculum and Preparation for Teachers, Page 2
continued from previous page
Write the following on the board:
Great ideas *can* be
-Scalable. Show the picture of the lightbulb. Get reactions of the definition of
“scalable” after showing the picture and discuss implications of scale.
-Inspiring. Show a picture of MLK. What was his big idea? Why did people march for his
idea?
-Out of the box. Show a picture representing the internet. Explain that the internet is an
‘idea’ that is a perfect example of how ideas typically run course---they build on each
other. The telegraph, radio, the telephone, television, computer technology, and finally the
internet. It’s important to understand that an idea is often not 100% unique, that one thing
builds on another.
4. Introduction to TED and TEDxYouth@MileHigh. “TED is a non-profit organization that shares
and amplifies people’s ideas. Whether there are scientists, musicians, artists, athletes, writers,
programmers, doctors, storytellers or owners of businesses---people in every sector (eg job) have
big ideas. TED talks give people no longer than 18 minutes to share their idea, so they have to
make every word count.
5. Watch the 3 minute TED Talk ‘how to start a revolution’ and then discuss:
-What is his big idea?
-What makes it great?
6. Explain the role of TED (and 21st Century Skills) by drawing the following on the board:
7. Thumbs up, thumbs down for BIG, SCALABLE ideas. Examples: Invention of Twitter, the
wheel, etc.
8. Role Play: Public speaking. What makes a good public speaker? Tell students to look under
their chairs. If there is a note (one of the notecards with ”whisper” “eyes down” etc.), ask them to
raise their hand and act out what the card says. Discuss the importance of public speaking and
what makes a great public speaker.
9. Community. Discuss why community is important in spreading your ideas.
10. Audience behavior. Talk about what a good attendee looks and sounds like.
IDEASSPEAKING
COMMUNITY
TED
14. TEDxYouth@MileHigh 2014: Presenting Sponsor
JEREMY DUHON, CURATOR
Like TEDxMileHigh, we inspire individuals to be more creative and
pioneering in their lives and communities.
At CU Denver, we believe solving real-world problems goes hand in
hand with pursuing personal passions. Want to see the proof? Just
look around the Mile High City. No other university offers our
combination of respected faculty, rigorous academics, research and
creative work, and deep connections to businesses and
communities in the heart of Denver.
Our professors educate, inspire and stimulate change through the
ideas they spread. We enhance the lives and careers of our students
and meet community needs through partnerships, research, and
innovation.
Learn with Purpose. Visit us at learnwithpurpose.org.
