Most Neuqua students know TED from the talks that circulate on YouTube—the talk that helps people know if they’re a psychopath (Jon Ronson, 2012), the look into the mind of a “Master Procrasinator” (Tim Urban, 2016), or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s talk in 2009 that warned against stereotypes— videos that people see in English classes many times over the years. However, fewer students realize that TED’s reach extends well beyond those viral videos, and that several of their own classmates are already part of that world.

Between a student-founded TED-Ed club at Neuqua, and a Neuqua, Waubonsie and Bolingbrook High School (BHS) student-organized TEDxBolingbrook Youth event scheduled this June, Neuqua is becoming a hub for student voices in the broader TED ecosystem. The two efforts are separate in structure but connected by a shared belief: that highschoolers have ideas worth spreading, too.

TED-Ed Club: A club built around ideas

Neuqua’s TED-Ed club meets once a month in the LMC and is run by students Arya Shankar, Aarav Jain, Vanshika Shetty, Gabriela Lombana Arias, and Akshay Jayaprakash. Last year, the club secured an official TED-Ed license, certifying it as a recognized TED-Ed organization under Neuqua. This allows speakers to receive official TED-Ed certificates that they can include on resumes and college applications.

For students already involved in flagship Neuqua activities like the speech team, literary magazine, or the Monologue Show, the TED-Ed club occupies a distinct niche: producing research-driven, personal talks, and often making a complex topic accessible to an audience that may know nothing about it.

“I gave my own TED talk outside of the school through a different organization, and I really liked the process—I thought it was really fulfilling and rewarding by the end,” said Arya Shankar, Neuqua senior. “I wanted to create something that was a more local commitment but could really help improve public speaking, which is such an important skill in this day and age. I also wanted to give people a platform to share their stories and ideas.”

The development process mirrors what professional TED speakers go through on a compressed scale. The first stage, to discover and explore, involves students identifying their “big idea” and refining their topic. Then, they develop, research, outline, and build their talk with evidence and structure. Finally, they share: students rehearse, practice in front of peers, and ultimately deliver their talk at the in-person event. Shankar emphasized that the talks are not just personal storytelling.

“A lot of our speeches are back with research, and they’re not just story-based,” said Shankar. “So the overall presentation is very professional and has certain characteristics that make it a TED talk.”

Topics this year range from personal reflections on belonging and immigration to scientific deep-dives into Antarctic exploration.

The club’s work culminates in a professionally-recorded showcase in the large forum room, where members deliver their talks to an audience, featuring the iconic TED-style red carpet. This year’s showcase will take place on April 22, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Birkett Freshman Center. With nearly double the interest this year, the executive board hopes to expand outreach and build an even larger audience.

“Anyone can do it,” Shankar added. “The end result is really rewarding.”

Beyond the school: TEDxBolingbrook Youth

TEDxBolingbrook Youth is an independently organized event, operating under a TED license at the Bolingbrook Community Center. Scheduled for June 12, 2026, it is part of TED’s global network of independently organized conferences—events that carry the TEDx brand but are planned and run by local volunteers.

TEDx events are distinct from TED-Ed clubs in that they require a formal license from TED, which involve curating a lineup of speakers around a central theme, and are subject to TED’s rules on production quality, content standards, and community guidelines. Youth-designated events are organized with student leadership and adult supervision.

The preparation takes months. Speakers go through multiple rounds of revision with their speaker coach, and every statistic has to be verified by a fact checker.

For example, one’s speaker’s talk on youth mental wellness used NAMI DuPage, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as a fact checker. Other speakers sought guidance from local professors or professionals at organizations, including the National Weather Service.

This year’s theme is “What if…,” a framing device that encourages speakers to challenge assumptions and imagine alternatives.

Saina Nagar, a Neuqua Valley junior and founding member of the team, is speaking this year after serving as event manager last year.

“The shift felt super natural,” said Nagar. “As the event manager last year, I got familiar with the process of writing a TEDx talk and identifying possible corrections to make. I was able to implement that into my own talk, and I’ve found my experience last year has made the writing process a lot easier.”

She explained how the theme itself has shaped her thinking.

“The ‘What if…’ theme helped me shape my talk by giving me a line of reasoning throughout. Everything I talk about connects to the theme in one way or another.”

The event also features student artwork and musical performances. Vismaya Yogesh, a junior at Neuqua, will be returning as a performer.

“I delivered my talk last year on how music impacted people, and this year, I’m so excited that I’m one of the performers,” Yogesh shared. I’ll be singing Carnatic music on the day to show how much I appreciate music. Overall, this platform has really helped to expand my horizons.”

Whether through TED-Ed Club or the TEDxBolingbrook Youth stage, Neuqua students are stepping into a global ecosystem built around ideas.