Students to Host TEDxYouth@RVA at Collegiate School Nov. 16

The sixth annual TEDxYouth@RVA, organized by a team of students throughout metro Richmond, will take place Nov. 16 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Collegiate School’s Hershey Center for the Arts, 103 N. Mooreland Road.

The event, which focuses on innovative thinkers from the Richmond area who have ideas worth spreading throughout the community, is free and open to the public. More than a dozen speakers of all ages will share ideas and insights related to this year’s theme of fusion to inspire area youths. Speakers and performers will include: Angelica Garcia, a recording artist who uses her Mexican and Salvadoran roots to inspire and influence her music; Douglas Powell/Roscoe Burnems, a National Poetry Slam champion; Jill Ware, a movement artist and embodiment virtual reality researcher in the VCUarts Dance and Choreography Department; Colombia-born artist Alfonso Perez-Acosta; and Charlotte Harrison, a self-published high school poet.

In addition to the talks, there will be an interactive session in which participants will see some of the speakers’ ideas in action. A complimentary catered dinner will also be available to guests.

The 12 Collegiate students helping to organize the event have done so through the senior capstone class in which they are earning course credit as they learn. These students have sought sponsorships and other support from local business owners, collaborated with peers at area schools to select speakers, managed marketing, coached speakers, and planned the program.

While attendance is free, registration is required at collegiate-va.ticketleap.com/admin/events/tedxyouthrva2019. For information about TEDxYouth@RVA, contact co-organizer Rhiannon Boyd at 337-9512 or rhiannon_boyd@collegiate-va.org or Collegiate School Director of Communications Stacy Adams at stacy_adams@collegiate-va.org or 726-3270.