Three young people from the Tri-Cities will share their inspirational stories and performances at this Sunday's second annual TEDxYouth@Granville conference.
Coquitlam resident Zoey Jones, 15, a Grade 10 at Stratford Hall in Vancouver, is one of eight speakers at the event and will talk about overcoming big challenges.
Specifically, Jones will speak about her water-saving shower head, which she displayed last month at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Montreal. Jones used computational fluid dynamic simulations to test her designs to get the right fit.
"Through my science fair journey, I learned that having a passion for the process of what you are doing is more important and beneficial than focusing on the goal at the end of the road," Jones told The Tri-City News in an email this week. "I hope to pass this knowledge onto others — particularly youth."
It will be Jones' first time before a TEDx crowd.
Hosted by Port Moody resident Frankie Cena, TEDxYouth@Granville will also include entertainment by comedian Ed Hill, a graduate of Pinetree secondary in Coquitlam. Hill recently released his new comedy album Weirdo Whisperer.
"Comedy is often forgotten during the celebration of arts and ideas yet we must not forget that comedy is the truth masked by humour," Hill said. "In other words, reality can be ugly and difficult to digest, and comedians are the ones who transform that into something acceptable for the public to reflect on. Being part of TEDxYouth is a wonderful opportunity to allow this process to occur."
As for Cena, it will be his second round to host the TEDxYouth@Granville gathering. "These student organizers are brilliant and have put together such an amazing line-up of speakers," he said, adding, "As an international speaker and local speech and debate coach, I recognize the value of discovering your personal story and sharing it with the world."
• Tickets for TEDxYouth@Granville on June 5 are $30 via tedxyouthgranville.ca. The event takes place at the BMO Gold Corp Stage.
