Ossining High School will host TEDxOssining High School Youth, its first-ever TEDx program, on May 22. The theme: “Collective Ideas for Change: How we can use our diverse voices, perspectives, and cultures to share ideas that improve our community.”
School counselor Kevin Brooks is co-organizing the event with fellow My Brother’s Keeper advisors Oumar Sarr and Harold Corporan.
Brooks says about a dozen students and a “limited number of adults including faculty” will participate, but he won’t be one of them because he “wants to make sure there are opportunities for others to speak as I believe in the power of listening.” He adds, “Getting our young people to share their voices and ideas is such a powerful thing.”
Principal Latoya Langley agrees. “Our faculty continually seek ways to elevate student voices, encouraging them to speak up about the change they want to see in their school community and the world. I’m so thankful that TEDx has chosen to partner with us.”
To host your own TEDx event, you must participate in a prior program. Brooks was eligible because he was a speaker at the TEDx presentation called Higher Ed while Black: How students of color can thrive in college, at the University of Mount St. Vincent in January 2024. That helped form the idea to present a program at the high school, “Other MBK advisors and I thought it would be great to bring an event like this to Ossining.”
TEDx is a grassroots initiative with a mission to “research and discover ideas worth spreading” through more than 3,000 annual events. It is licensed by TED – the group that has featured some of the biggest names in politics, entertainment, science, and academia – including Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Bob Woodward, Brené Brown, Tony Robbins and many others.
Brooks says just being a part of TEDxOssining High School Youth will provide lifelong benefits to the students as they can say, “I am a TEDx speaker, I can put that on my resume for the rest of my life.” He adds, “It gives them confidence to do other things and use their voices in other realms and it shows people are listening.”
Brooks is also an advisor for the Ossining High School Chapter of My Brother’s Keeper. MBK is an initiative launched by President Obama in 2014, in response to the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. The organization was formed to “address the persistent opportunity gaps boys and young men of color face and to ensure all young people can reach their full potential.”
Brooks says about 60 students participate in the OHS chapter, and that provides him with, “the opportunity to work with men of color to create a space where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings and come together in brotherhood. … that’s some of the most powerful things we can do.” He says it isn’t always easy for the students to do that, but “They come back week after week and they get less shy, and that brotherhood develops.” The group meet every Wednesday between 3 and 4 p.m., and Brooks says, “that’s one of my favorite times of the week.”
Brooks also has great appreciation for the diversity at the school. “One of my favorite things about OHS is the multiple perspectives here including a wide variety of clubs and interests. If we could get our young people to share their voices and ideas that is such a powerful thing.”
And management is on board with the TEDx program. “The administration is super supportive. They are doing everything they can to help make it happen, and buzz is also growing as students and faculty start hearing about it.” Principal Langley adds, “This is a moment of immense pride for Ossining High. TEDx Ossining will empower our students to stand confidently as leaders, thinkers, and changemakers in their communities. I’m excited to see the powerful ideas our students will share on this prestigious platform.”
Brooks says he hopes this won’t be a one-time event. “We’d like it to be an annual thing that students can look forward to.”
To learn more about the program, visit ossiningufsd.org/programs/my-brothers-keeper-program. To watch Brooks’ prior TEDx talk, click on youtube.com/watch?v=JdC5MJBkEWY.
