Photo courtesy of TEDxNewAlbany
New Albany High School student Emily Demooy dances across the 2016 TEDxNewAlbany stage.
Climbing the business ladder to growth and success – while still in high school?
In just four years, students at New Albany High School have taken the concept of TEDx, an offshoot of the international TED organization, beyond their high school and into the community. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is known for its “Ideas Worth Spreading,” in numerous venues and forums.
Originally named TEDxYouth@NAHS and inspired by former assistant marching band director Nicholas Turon in 2014, the program was renamed TEDxNewAlbany in 2016, says senior Steven Kish – and now lays claim to being an award-winning TEDx chapter.
Kish, who serves as executive program director, was introduced to TED and TED Talks by his father, but was unaware of the opportunity to create a TEDx organization within the high school until presented with the concept by Turon.
“Mr. Turon liked the TED program, especially TED Talks. He thought that TEDx was definitely something students could learn a lot from,” Kish says.
Photo courtesy of TEDxNewAlbany
From the start, the local TEDx program was student-driven, with its audience youth-oriented. The focus was to have an annual stage event with student speakers who had ideas to share. The first event at NAHS featured five student speakers with about 100 other students in attendance, and limited funds to coordinate the event from the principal’s discretionary fund.
The 2015 event was a little larger, but still spoke primarily to students. In 2016, Kish says, the scope changed, and TEDxNewAlbany grew significantly.
“We decided to broaden (it) and make it fully community oriented,” Kish says. “We had 10 adult and four student speakers, with over 500 people in the audience. More than 400 were adults.”
With the theme “Dare To…,” the 2016 topics ranged from “Be an Individual,” and “Quit School” to “Not be Average” and “Learn Without Limits.” Held at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, the Saturday event lasted for six hours. In addition to speakers, the 2016 event included student artistic performances, a vendor area, merchandise giveaways, refreshments and a 32-page printed program with advertisers and sponsors.
Speakers are generally connected to the greater Columbus and New Albany communities, and represent diversity in both topic and life experiences, Kish says. The common focus for each speaker is not to educate and inform, but to be thought-provoking and spark creativity.
As the events grew, so did the number of students who organize the events, as well as the organizational structure and job descriptions. A group of approximately 25 NAHS students hold specific positions and organize the annual TEDx event, along with other smaller-scale events, such as open mic nights and performer auditions.
Photo courtesy of TEDxNewAlbany
However, it’s the annual event that requires months of planning, hard work and dedication – and every organizer is still a full-time high school student.
“This is run like a business,” Kish says. “We raised $30,000 in sponsorships in 2016, including donations from the New Albany Community Foundation’s Ryan Family Fund and the Paul and Jennifer Naumoff Family Fund.”
An executive team oversees numerous committee members in planning the events. The current executive team consists of an executive program director (Kish) and executive operations director (Prapti Dalal), sponsorship director (Drew Fischer), director of vendors and technology (Sujan Kakumanu), treasurer (Parker Selby), co-directors of speakers (Olivia Wootten and Miles Waytes), director of venue and experience (Alexis Rudy), and director of marketing (Redd Ingram). In addition, several students serve in other positions, including as speaker coaches.
“Our speaker coaches have faced challenges beyond those of most students and are there to coach the adult speakers,” Kish says – including, he says, one speaker from last year, NAHS Principal Dwight Carter.
The 2017 event, Through the Looking Glass, is April 8 and will be held at the McCoy Center for Performing Arts. For information on tickets, sponsorship or other involvement, visit www.tedxnewalbany.org/attend.
Changing the focus of TEDxNewAlbany did more than bring hundreds of adults to the McCoy Center in 2016: It earned TEDxNewAlbany solid community recognition. In December 2016, it received the New Albany Chamber of Commerce Delta Award for Outstanding Program for its growth within the community.
One of a dozen or so TEDx organizations in the Columbus area – the groups are not limited to schools – TEDxNewAlbany is the only one totally student-organized from top to bottom that caters to the broad community, Kish says.
Photo courtesy of TEDxNewAlbany
“We have a great working relationship with the school and that helps us,” he says.
He says that without the support of Carter and English teacher Anne Stidham, who cuts through the paperwork and red tape that only a school staff member can do, there could be more challenges in planning the event.
“I am able to handle the administrative paperwork that students don’t have access to,” Stidham says. “It’s amazing to see how they look at every year and try to improve it. They have such a good understanding of the business aspect, how to market, advertise, get money. They problem solve and overcome their weaknesses. If everything was run this well, our world would be a better place.”
Kathy L. Woodard is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
