The Clarke County School District is pleased to announce the 15 student speakers who will be participating in TEDxCCSD Youth on Saturday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens. 

The event, independently organized by a team of CCSD district and school staff and administrators and licensed by TED, will feature youth voices who have been given the space to share their big ideas and powerful stories under the common theme of "Raise the Bar." The event is free and open to the public to attend. Advance registration is requested at bit.ly/CCSDYouth26. In-person registration and check-in will begin at 10:15 a.m. on the day of the event. 

Launched in 2009, TEDx is a program of locally organized events that bring the community together to share a TED-like experience. Some of the best talks from TEDx events have gone on to be featured on TED.com and garnered millions of views from audiences across the globe.

In this first-of-its-kind event for youth in Clarke County, student speakers from CCSD, ranging from grades 3-12, will take the stage to give powerful TED Talks centered around how they think, lead, and show up. The theme of “Raise the Bar” celebrates young people who challenge themselves to grow, inspire others to aim higher, and turn bold ideas into meaningful impact on their schools and community.

“From the outset of this school year, our goal as a district was to ‘Raise the Bar’ in pursuit of excellence in everything that we do,” said CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott. “Along with our teachers, administrators, and support staff, our students have met that call to action head-on and have truly excelled inside and outside of the classroom. TEDxCCSD Youth is one of the many innovative approaches we are taking as a district to shine the light on our talented students and provide them with opportunities to grow and thrive every day. Their ideas are powerful, and we are excited for our community to hear from them and many more in the years to come.”

More than 50 CCSD elementary, middle, and high school students applied to be part of the inaugural TEDxCCSD Youth event. Fifteen were selected and have been preparing for the event with the help of district support coaches. Students participating include:

• Emaline Benson, 4th grade, Whitehead Road Elementary School

• Mariah Carson, 12th grade, Clarke Central High School and Athens Community Career Academy (ACCA)

• Caitlin Davis, 7th grade, Hilsman Middle School

• Essex Forker, 11th grade, Clarke Central and ACCA

• Brandon Frazier, 11th grade, Clarke Central 

• Kenji Funato, 3rd grade, Timothy Road Elementary School

• A'niya Grimes, 5th grade, Gaines Elementary School

• Leah Hussain, 4th grade, Barnett Shoals Elementary School

• Aidric Johnson, 6th grade, Coile Middle School

• Eden Moye, 8th grade, Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

• Laila Nobles, 10th grade, Clarke Central 

• Ruby Smothers, 5th grade, Gaines Elementary

• Kayla Walker, 11th grade, Clarke Central and ACCA

• Ryan Watkins, 8th grade, Hilsman Middle 

• A'layja Wilson, 8th grade, Coile Middle.

For more information about TEDxCCSD Youth, go to www.clarke.k12.ga.us/tedxccsdyouth and visit the official TEDxCCSD Youth Facebook event page.