Life is chaos, and as much as you want to control it, you can’t. There are so many unexpected things happening every day, but the one stable thing you can always trust is “you.” There are many moments in your life where you feel out of control, lost, empty; Erfan felt the same when he moved to Canada. Erfan grew up in a stable house as a kid, so chaos was not normal for him. When he moves to Canada, he experiences an exponential change in his life, and he fails as he tries to control everything. After one year of feeling different and isolated, Erfan finds a volunteering organization where he discovers that it’s possible for him to be himself without being ashamed of his differences. After embracing himself with volunteering, Erfan realizes that if you feel out of control, no matter where you are, you can always trust yourself because deep down, you are still the same. Erfan Torfenejad is a 19-year-old college student who immigrated to Canada when he 16. Since then, he fell in love with volunteering because he believes that people can discover their true selves by being involved with their community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the society came to a lockdown, many people felt a lack of connection, direction and purpose. Within the confines of her home, Verity Leung decided to tap into the resources available to her, spread her vision with others, and lent support to asylum seekers who had been forcibly displaced from their homes. As she reflected on the paradigm shift she went through, Verity challenges everyone – regardless of the age or stage in life – to make connections doing what we love for people we care about, so we can together make a difference in the world. Verity Leung is a 12-year-old homelearner from Vancouver who loves to play the piano. Having experienced the difficulties of the pandemic, she found her unique way, within the confines of her home, of connecting with people from all over the world to support asylum seekers who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries. In her spare time, Verity enjoys reading, doing parkour and analyzing human minds and behaviours. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

This talk is about my experience of a CPR and lifesaving course I took in 2021, and what I have learned. But It turns out that CPR is not the only thing that I took in, I also learned something more, and it helped me improve not only in my lifesaving skills but also in life. Lucas Wei is a grade 9 student from Ontario attending Toronto Montessori School, who is preparing for being a lifeguard as a first job and has so far finished several courses in the “lifesaving society” as well as some emergency first-aid courses. He gained more valuable experience in the lifesaving class than in the certificate and hopes to share it with more people. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Many youth face comparison growing up, whether it be to a classmate, sibling or friend. Kyara Lalli shares her personal challenges growing up alongside her more popular twin sister and how she overcame comparison and gained confidence. Kyara Lalli is a 17-year-old Vancouver student who cares a lot about family, especially her twin sister. However, she faced difficulties growing up alongside her sister and feels it is important for everyone to recognize the adverse effects of comparison. Kyara’s favourite activity to do with her sister is take their dogs out for long walks. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

My speech attempts to locate and solve a problem that lots of people have in the status quo; why people are so scared of trying new things. In my speech, I dive into a story about how a friend of mine tried a new activity called debate. They didn’t enjoy it at first, and if they didn’t try it again, they would’ve ended up disliking debate. Furthermore, I talk about how this scenario is very similar to the debate journey that I went on. I ended up enjoying debate as well, even if I lost debates, it was still something that I gained a lot of value from. Jade Wang is a 14-year-old student who loves debating, public speaking, science fairs, and trying new things. Jade has noticed how many people quit activity after activity, without giving them a fair shot, and is determined to help others discover their love for trying something new This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Self competition is like a marathon. The story of how I dealt with my teeth brushing showed how important it is to introduce a little self-competition in our life. We all have things we need to work on, and we all have things we’re great at. Avoid the temptation to ignore what we struggle with - instead, work to make it better. If you do, you’ll become a more well-rounded person. “Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist. A few trickles through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.” Carl Sagan Aaron personifies Carl Sagan’s statement. Aaron, a YouTube educational creator, is an Intern at Dark Star Quantum Lab. Aaron brings imagination, a fresh perspective and a positive social impact alignment to the forefront of quantum technology. Aaron believes what people thought was impossible yesterday, is possible today. Aaron is supported by his mentor Dave D’Silva an Industry 4.0 head-hunter for top PhDs, academics, researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurial innovators with a common goal: To achieve sustainable and ethical goals through quantum mechanics, AI, and blockchain, an emerging technology framework to unite society. Aaron’s goal to end suffering and save the world holds profound implications and opportunities through imagination for a brighter future. In sharing his knowledge in a fun way about what is possible through science, space, and quantum technology, Aaron represents inspiration and support for kids, families, and communities with his positive vision of the future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Do you have a situation where sometimes you don't want to try new things? I hope that after you hear my speech you will think twice. Trying new things will help you make new friends and grow up stronger and more independent. Plus, you should also try to stay positive. This will help you get through a challenge that you never faced before. Being positive will help you find the light from the dark. You can't know the future, however, staying positive and working hard can make the future more predictable! Covid has had lots of impacts on our daily life including my first swim meet. Ten or twenty years later, when the pandemic has faded, I hope you will be reminded of it by my speech. Mia Xu is an 8-year-old girl from Ontario attending Unionville Montessori School who loves to swim. In her spare time, Mia enjoys reading all kinds of books and is often found fantasising over fictional characters. Mia wants to share with you her story about being positive in her first swim meet. Always remember to stay positive, and things might turn out not so bad after all. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

In our media intensive culture, it is clear that teenagers today compare themselves to each other in a demeaning way, often degrading their self confidence in the process. Worse, teens are often scrutinized and compared to other teens by family and friends. So the question remains: how do we harness something seemingly negative and turn it into a self-growth tool? In his TED talk, Joey explores the art of comparison and how it helped him take steps to become a better person. Joey Liu, 15, is currently attending high school in Surrey, BC. As someone who is driven by self improvement, he believes that anyone can better themselves by turning simple ideas into productive tools. When he’s not preparing his TEDx speech, he can be found dabbling in competitive STEM competitions and building his textbook collection. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Life is full of unmotivated and trapped moments. What can you do to overcome it? Not having the solution to a problem is frustrating, and it could feel as if you have run out of options. I dealt with the struggle of making constant mistakes and despite my efforts, I could no longer see much improvement. Ultimately, this led me to lose passion for one of my most impactful extracurriculars in my life. After discovering a solution through an unexpected opportunity, it allowed me to find my passion once again. After hearing my talk, my hope is that you will be able to overcome your obstacle with the help of this solution. Amanda is a 16-year-old student here in Vancouver who loves dancing, playing the piano, and drawing. Having seen so many friends around her stop improving at what they love, she strives to inspire them to ignite their passions and grow their skills This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx