Young speakers ages 5 to 18 took the stage Saturday to deliver powerful talks at the student-led event focused on this year's theme of "Level Up."
"Imagine a world where the clanging of weights in a male-dominated gym is interrupted by the determined footsteps of two girls who are ready to challenge the belief that this is a man's world," one young speaker will share during the event.
The TEDx Kids El Cajon event challenges students to push past comfort zones, rise to new heights and use their voices to create change. The program started at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Greenfield Middle School and included speeches, live performances and interactive exhibits designed to spark curiosity and celebrate youth leadership.
Some participants admitted to feeling nervous about speaking to a large audience.
"Well, I feel nervous a little bit. But I feel like I do good. I'll do good. I only got in because I tried new things and if you like have like stage fright or anything, I think the best way to deal with this is like not just focus on one person that you know," one student speaker said.
Organizers say they're always looking for students ready to share their voice for future events.
"I guarantee you there'll be tears in the audience, proud parents, proud family members, proud teachers. It takes a village to help these kiddos. But yeah, they've come a long way," an organizer said.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
