If you happen upon Horticultural Hall on Mass Ave., this evening, you will certainly find many young people speaking to adults. But, they won’t be asking for tricks or treats. Instead, they will be rehearsing what may be one of the most important talks of their life, and seeking encouragement, support and advice from professional storytellers.
Horticultural Hall is the home of Boston marketing agency, Small Army, who has recently partnered with TEDxYouth@Beacon Street to help activate our nation’s most valuable resource for change – our youth. For close to one year, potential youth speakers have been visiting Small Army’s offices to pitch, rehearse and hone their TEDx talks in preparation for the annual TEDxYouth event being held at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) on Saturday November 9.
“We’re honored to support such an amazing organization,” states Jeff Freedman, Small Army CEO. “The stories, experiences and perspectives of this generation is critical to our future. And, it is a privilege to have a small part in helping elevate their messages and missions.”
TEDxYouth teen speakers range from 13 to 19 years of age, and speak on a range of topics that they are translating into action. Mattingly mobilizes representative film-making. Nyla calls us to reflect on #blackgirlmagic. Kat makes a trail to STEM pathways less taken. Nabi transcends circumstances invoking heritage to inspire research. Sam restores our sight. John awakens us. Angelina invokes the power of song. Alex invents caring networks for caregivers. Chloe contrasts violent cultures and we witness our place in violent systems anew. Asmani transports us to a new way of understanding our bodies and disabilities.
“We are fortunate to have a relationship with Small Army founded on the shared belief that engaging the change-making power of our youth is the most vital and rapid path to creating a positive tomorrow,” states Tim Smith, Executive Curator of TEDx Youth Beacon Street. “They are not only helping our speakers refine their stories, but also helping us refine ours. They are not only amazing storytellers, but big-hearted people who truly share our mission.”
Other organizations actively involved in the program include OneBead, who invest in middle schooler led community change and MassArt, the first freestanding college of art and design in the country.
If you’re interested in helping youth prepare their talks, leave your bowl of candy at your front door, and visit Small Army’s offices tonight at Horticultural Hall (300 Massachusetts Ave.). Or, if you want to be inspired beyond helping youth develop talks, check out the annual TEDx Youth event at MassArt on November 9. For more information, visit TEDx Youth Beacon Street (txyb.org).
TEDxYouth@Beacon Street (txyb.org)is in its 8th season it is an impact innovation lab and the most enduring TEDxYouth event in the country. It is a Brookline, MA based, inclusivity focused, all volunteer and sponsor fueled organization. Its programming is free, its teen and select adult TEDxYouth talks are a vehicle for accelerating youth-driven change. The TEDxYouth program is a platform for creating and energizing youth change makers. Through its talk discovery and development process it guides its youth(especially marginalized youth) to defining their singular mission and purpose, conveying this through meaningful stories, and creating road maps for effecting their desired impact and outcomes locally and globally. We continuously seek to wrap mission enhancing relationships and resources around our youth before, during, and after their TEDxYouth talk
Small Army (smallarmy.net) is a marketing and creative service agency in Boston that helps brands build relationships with people through storytelling. It starts with discovering the moral of the brand story and then sharing it wherever its audiences may be (ie., advertising, video, social media, websites, etc.). Clients span a range of industries and include brands such as Boston Medical Center, Dassault Systemes, Country Bank, NETSCOUT, WGBH and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Small Army is part of FINN Partners, a global integrated marketing agency with more than 700 people and 18 offices worldwide.