TEDx comes to Xavier School on Feb. 18, 2012

Xavier School is celebrating its 55 years in existence year-long. And one of the highlights of its celebration is the inaugural TEDxXavierSchool event which is happening this Saturday, Feb. 18, right in the Xavier School campus.

Just as a backgrounder, TEDx is an independently organized TED event which operates under license from TED. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. At TED talks, the world’s thinkers and doers are given 18 minutes to talk about their passion. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  These talks are provided free to the global audience at TED.com. In fact, there is a TED app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that allows you to view the videos on these devices.

In TEDx events, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. Just recently, my friend Jay Jaboneta, was invited to France to share about his Yellow Boat Foundation at TEDxMontpellier. But this TEDx event is close and dear to my heart because it is happening in the heart of my boys’ school. I am so proud that Xavier School is leading the pack when it comes to the use of technology in academe as well as in other pioneering ideas like this one.

In the heat of preparations…
(taken from TedxXavierSchool Facebook page)

The TEDxXavierSchool theme, “Innovation built on tradition”, will be a half-day event to explore ways in which we innovate based on our history and our own experiences. 
Innovators scheduled to speak in person at TEDxXavierSchool include:

Raynard Raphael Lao — a Xavier High School student, who is also a champion public speaker at both local and regional competitions 
Brian Maraña — International Programs Coordinator of Xavier School who has transformed the way students learn from the world 
Tony Meloto — Founder of Gawad Kalinga, providing countless homes to the homeless and building them into communities, and speaker at the World Economic Forum 
Dodie Ng — Games and apps creator who also founded a robotics organization and team for the youth while also being a Xavier High School student 
Mark Ruiz — Co-Founder of Hapinoy and Founder of Rags2Riches, providing social business enterprise and microenterprise development as a living means to some of the poorest people 
Brian Tenorio — Internationally-acclaimed, New York-based designer who has altered the way development is done through Design

Here’s a teaser video for TEDxXavierSchool.

For more on TEDxXavierSchool, follow their Facebook page and on Twitter via the hashtag #TEDxXS.

Credits:

Co-chairs for the TEDxXavierSchool event are Galvin Radley Ngo, Coordinator of Xavier School’s Operation NExT (New Experiences with Technology), and Jessica Demegillo, Technology Integrator at Xavier School. Martin Gomez is the primary licensee for TEDxXavierSchool. This event is organized by Xavier School’s Operation NExT department, Club NExT student organization, and the Xavier School student Media Team.