TEDx at WAB, From Big Ideas to Brave Voices

On this week’s WAB Podcast, the TEDx Club at WAB moves from the stage to the studio as student leader Ryan (G11) and TEDx speaker Ava (G9) sit down to talk about what it really takes to turn an idea into a talk worth sharing. From the outside, TEDx can look like a single polished event in Blu Theatre, behind the scenes, it’s months of students drafting, cutting, re‑framing, and encouraging each other as they find the clearest version of what they want to say. This year’s theme, “Reframe,” invited speakers to look again at something familiar and see it in a new way, from the link between math and art, to how we understand addiction, to Ava’s exploration of Spotify, algorithms, and how music platforms quietly shape both listeners and artists. 

In the conversation, Ava shares how she started with a simple love of music and, through research and feedback, turned it into a talk that asks audiences to notice the systems behind their playlists and to “reclaim your ability to feel something real in an automated world.” Ryan describes the other side of the experience: leading the TEDx club, organizing meetings, and learning how to give the kind of feedback that honours each speaker’s voice, whether the tone is humorous, serious, or somewhere in between. Both students share honestly about nerves, something every public speaker feels: the long wait before stepping onto the red dot, and how they manage and grow with more experience and feedback from peers. 

TEDx is organized by students, for students: older students mentor younger ones, help them shape their through‑line, and think about their audience; in return, they gain experience in coaching, organizing, and listening across different perspectives. For both Ryan and Ava, the skills they have built through TEDx, communicating clearly, doing deep research, managing a long‑term project, and understanding what stories resonate, are already spilling over into GCiA clubs, classes, future plans, and even how they approach university essays and real‑world opportunities. 

TEDx at WAB is a great example of what happens when young people are trusted with a microphone, a big idea, and the time and support to make that idea their own. Tune in to hear how TEDx at WAB becomes an amplifier for student voice and agency, and why Ryan and Ava think every student at WAB has a story that’s worth sharing.