TEDxYouth@EuroSchoolWhitefield | One Idea Is All It Takes to Move the World

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[00:10:01]Words are ordinary. Ideas are extraordinary. But when words carry ideas with purpose, they become the force that shapes people. Good morning.

[00:10:11]I Arishit and Ishika are your hosts for the day. To our honorable speakers, esteemed guests and dear students, we extend a very warm welcome to the TEDex youth at Euro School Whitefield where big ideas meet young minds.

[00:10:28]>> Before we begin, we would like to share a few instructions to help ensure the smooth running of the program. We seek your kind cooperation in making sure that the event proceeds without interruption.

[00:10:40]Please ensure that your mobile phones are switched to silent mode throughout the program. Once the program begins, we kindly request all attendees to remain seated and avoid entering or leaving the audio performances as movement may distract the speakers and disrupt the flow of the event. Photographs and videos are being professionally recorded for the event and the program is also being livereamed. Hence, we request all attendees not to click pictures or make any recordings during the program. If you require any assistance, please approach our volunteers at the desk. In case of an emergency, please note the fire exits located at the ramp site and at the back of the dice. The exit boards are clearly marked in red for your guidance. Your cooperation will help us to make this celebration a memorable experience for all. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

[00:11:33]>> And to mark the dawn of this new journey, let us now proceed with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. a symbol of light, learning and enlightenment. May I now invite CEO of Lighthouse Learning Hub K2, Mr. Sadasha Nyak, our respected principal, Miss Nina Sajett, and other dignitaries to join us in kindling the sacred flame as we begin this special occasion.

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[00:14:46]Thank you all. I now invite our beloved principal Miss Simeia Sajett to welcome the gathering.

[00:15:01]Good morning everyone. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you all to TEDex Euro School Whitefield 2026.

[00:15:09]Today marks a proud milestone for our school as we host our very first TEDex event under the official TED license. It is a celebration of curiosity, courage, and the power of human imagination. I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to our distinguished speakers. Thank you for generously sharing your time, experiences, and perspectives with our school community.

[00:15:35]Your presence here today is a gift to every student in this auditorium. Our special appreciation goes to our two TEDex speakers, our students. Standing on TEDex stage takes courage and conviction. We are immensely proud of you and for believing that your voices matter and I know that it will definitely inspire many others to find theirs. I also extend a very warm welcome to members of Lighthouse Learning, distinguished guests, principles and leaders from our sister schools, our parents and of course our wonderful students. Thank you for being here.

[00:16:12]Our theme this year is ideas change people, people change the world. History reminds us that every great transformation begins with someone who dares to think differently.

[00:16:25]In 1989, Sir Tim Donis imagined a world where information could be freely connected and shared. His vision became the worldwide web, transforming the way billions of people learn, communicate, and collaborate. Years later, Elon Musk asked a simple question. Why should rockets be thrown away after a single use? That question led to reusable rock with rockets transforming space travel and opening possibilities once thought impossible.

[00:16:58]These stories remind us that every great breakthrough is with someone asking what if. At Euro School Whitefield, we believe every classroom has the potential to spark the next breakthrough. Our responsibility is not simply to teach students what to think, but to inspire them to think differently, ask bold questions and believe that their ideas can make a difference. Today is more than a series of inspiring.

[00:17:28]It is an opportunity to listen with an open mind, discover new perspectives, and perhaps leave with one thought that stays with you long after this event.

[00:17:39]Because when a perspective changes, people change. And when people change, they have the power to change the world.

[00:17:47]Thank you.

[00:17:54]>> Thank you, ma'am.

[00:17:59]>> If ideas have the power to transform minds, art has the power to prepare them. As we begin this remarkable journey of ideas, let us first celebrate the universal language of art through rhythm, movement, and expression. Please join us in welcoming our talented students as they present the welcome dance, setting the stage for an unforgettable TEDex experience.

[00:18:47]Deep dechech.

[00:19:09]Google down the back.

[00:19:32]Put the During Jerry Ichech, Big naked Fore! Foreign! Foreign!

[00:21:24]Dinappa da da da.

[00:22:28]Every time you tear a leaf of a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. These words urge us to remember that every idea begins inside us, shaped by what we feel and how we perceive it.

[00:22:46]Yes, the theme for today's event is not merely a slogan. It is a reminder that every great change starts with a single idea. Ideas change people. People change the world. As part of today's program, we will now present the official TEDex video introduction, which will help us better understand TEDex and set the tone for the event.

[00:23:13]From Kenya to Colombia, from Iraq to Korea, in slums, in schools, in prisons, and in theaters, every day people gather at TEDex events around the world to hear the best ideas bubbling up in their communities.

[00:23:30]Today, you are part of a global conversation about our shared future.

[00:23:37]So, what is this TED X?

[00:23:40]TEDex is an initiative of the TED conference, a nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading. We grant free licenses to allow TEDlike events to spread globally. This event today is based on the TED conference format and ideals, but is independently organized by your local community. So, please make sure to thank the team of volunteers who worked so hard on today's event. It's their ideas, dedication, and time that made it all possible. It's they who booked all the speakers, and the views you'll hear today are, of course, those of those speakers, not necessarily of TEDs.

[00:24:21]We hope their talks spark an exciting conversation among you. This is a day for curiosity and for skepticism, for openness and for critical thinking, for inspiration and for action.

[00:24:34]The more you enter into it, the more you'll take out.

[00:24:40]And now on with the show.

[00:25:48]Some of my strongest performers did not have stratospheric IQ scores. Some of my smartest kids weren't doing so well. And that got me thinking. The kinds of things you need to learn in seventh grade math. Sure, they're hard. Ratios, decimals, the area of a parallelogram.

[00:26:07]But these concepts are not impossible and I was firmly convinced that every one of my students could learn the material if they worked hard and long enough.

[00:26:20]After several more years of teaching, I came to the conclusion that what we need in education is a much better understanding of students and learning from a motivational perspective, from a psychological perspective. In education, the one thing we know how to measure best is IQ.

[00:26:41]But what if doing well in school and in life depends on much more than your ability to learn quickly and easily?

[00:26:51]So, I left the classroom and I went to graduate school to become a psychologist.

[00:26:57]I started studying kids and adults in all kinds of super challenging settings.

[00:27:02]And in every study, my question was, who is successful here and why? My research team and I went to West Point Military Academy. We tried to predict which cadets would stay in military training and which would drop out. We went to the National Spelling Ve and tried to predict which children would advance farthest in competition.

[00:27:25]We studied rookie teachers working in really tough neighborhoods, asking which teachers are still going to be here in teaching by the end of the school year.

[00:27:34]And of those, who will be the most effective at improving learning outcomes for their students? We partnered with private companies asking which of these salespeople is going to keep their jobs and who's going to earn the most money.

[00:27:47]In all those very different contexts, one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't IQ.

[00:28:02]It was grit.

[00:28:05]Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day in day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.

[00:28:31]A few years ago, I started studying grit in the Chicago public schools. I asked thousands of high school juniors to take grit questionnaires and then waited around more than a year to see who would graduate.

[00:28:44]Turns out that grittier kids were significantly more likely to graduate.

[00:28:50]Even when I matched them on every characteristic I could measure, things like family income, standardized achievement test scores, even how safe kids felt when they were at school. So, it's not just at West Point or the National Spelling Bee that grit matters.

[00:29:06]It's also in school, especially for kids at risk for dropping out.

[00:29:12]To me, the most shocking thing about grit is how little we know, how little science knows about building it. Every day, parents and teachers ask me, "How do I build grit in kids? What do I do to teach kids a solid work ethic? How do I keep them motivated for the long run?"

[00:29:31]The honest answer is I don't know.

[00:29:35]What I do know is that talent doesn't make you gritty. Our data show very clearly that there are many talented individuals who simply do not follow through on their commitments. In fact, in our data, grit is usually unrelated or even inversely related to measures of talent.

[00:29:55]So far, the best idea I've heard about building grit in kids is something called growth mindset. This is an idea developed at Stanford University by Carol Dwek. And it is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort. Dr. Dwek has shown that when kids read and learn about the believe that failure is a permanent condition.

[00:30:32]So growth mindset is a great idea for building grit, but we need more. And that's where I'm going to end my remarks because that's where we are. That's the work that stands before us. We need to take our best ideas, our strongest intuitions, and we need to test them. We need to measure whether we've been successful and we have to be willing to fail, to be wrong, to start over again with lessons learned. In other words, we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier. Thank you.

[00:31:57]and leadership expert with more than 25 years of experience spanning education, leadership development, organizational transformation, and the future of work.

[00:32:07]A former executive at Harvard University and Pearson, she has dedicated a career to helping individuals and organizations navigate complex change and build capabilities required for the future.

[00:32:19]She currently serves as chief learning officer at Dream Time Learning Asia and is an author, adviser, and keynote speaker. Her work combines learning science, neuroscience, and leadership principles to promote sustainable success and human flourishing.

[00:32:35]Throughout her career, Miss Mato has supported thousands of professionals, leaders, and organizations in building the skills needed to thrive in rapidly changing environments. With a clear philosophy that people should be equipped not just to succeed, but to live and work effectively in the world, she believes excellence should never come at the cost of purpose, well-being, or authenticity. So, please join us in giving a warm round of applause to Miss Janine Matau.