PAC presents TEDxPaloAltoCollege

Palo Alto College is proud to announce the inaugural TEDxPaloAltoCollege to be held on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, at the College’s Performing Arts Center. The independently produced event, operated under a license from the TED organization, will be organized by faculty, staff, and student volunteers and is aimed at creating dialogue and giving people a forum to share their passions, ideas, and experiences through the event theme – “Break Through ______”.

“At Palo Alto College, our primary goal is to ensure our students and our community have access to opportunities that will enhance their minds and personal growth,” said Tony Longoria, speech communication instructor at Palo Alto College and lead organizer of TEDxPaloAltoCollege. “Through TEDx, we’ll be able to provide a mix of educational and cultural presentations that will contribute to our students’ overall global experience.”

The full-day event will feature innovative ideas from a variety of talks and performances. The call for TEDx Talk proposals for TEDxPaloAltoCollege is now open and will close on June 15, 2018. Proposals for both talks and performances are encouraged; all submissions will be reviewed by a committee to create a cohesive, cross-disciplinary experience. The selection process includes timing, themes, and length; preference is given to new ideas that are evidence-supported.

For over 30 years, Palo Alto College has provided access to education in south San Antonio and Bexar County. The theme – “Break Through ______” – was chosen because Palo Alto College was a ‘breakthrough’ as the first option for higher education south of Highway 90. Today, many of our students achieve breakthroughs of their own as first generation college students. TEDxPaloAltoCollege will further the College’s mission “to inspire, empower, and educate our community for leadership and success” by bringing powerful ideas to the local conversation.

Ticket sales will be announced in July 2018, and event sponsorships are available. To learn more about TEDxPaloAltoCollege, visit tedxpaloaltocollege.org or email pac-tedx@alamo.edu.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED's annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.

TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a "wish," or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.