Did you know you should potty train your cow?
Well, you would know if you attended last year鈥檚 TEDxChilliwack event. The talk by Dr. Alison Vaughan was one of the day鈥檚 most intriguing 鈥� and not just for the potty talk. Vaughan explained how technology can be used to increase the welfare of farm animals and reduce the environmental impact of farms. Watch her full talk below this story.
While this year鈥檚 will be Time to Reboot. Berris Karden, director of TEDxChilliwack, says the theme will give this year鈥檚 speakers a chance to delve into the original root of TED Talks; Technology, Entertainment and Design.
And there is still a chance to be one of those speakers. The application process is already underway, with a deadline of Dec. 1. Nominations and self-nominations can be made at their website, .
The deadline to apply is a little earlier this year, Karden notes, and they are hoping people will help get the word out about the opportunities TEDxChilliwack provides. It鈥檚 a unique event, with three audition nights held in January at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas. About 40 applicants will be accepted for the auditions, in which they鈥檒l be asked to present a three-minute elevator pitch. That pitch can be about their research, their inspiration, or anything else that could win over the coaches and audiences.
Each night, the coaches and audiences will pick their favourites. A total of 12 speakers will move forward to the final TEDxTalk, to be held on April 14 at G.W. Graham Theatre. And between January and April, the 12 speakers will each work one-on-one with their coach to polish their final talk. A further three speakers will be brought in as keynote speakers (TBA).
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful opportunity,鈥� says Karden. 鈥淲hat really blew our minds last year was that you get a number of speakers with all different levels of practice. Some people just have a great idea but not experience, so there鈥檚 all kinds of nerves and energy going on.鈥�
For some speakers, it will be the first time they鈥檝e ever addressed a room of 100 people.
Karden鈥檚 excited to see what innovation is going on right here in Chilliwack.
鈥淏asically our view here is 鈥榗hange is constant, don鈥檛 get stuck in the past,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淟et鈥檚 get new ideas, reinvent ourselves, find new ways of thinking. Chilliwack is amazing.鈥�
And that leads back to that potty-training video. It didn鈥檛 just intrigue the audience last year, it grabbed the attention of TED International organizers, who featured it as a breakout video. It鈥檚 had almost 10,000 views on Youtube.
To learn more about how to get involved in TedXChilliwack, either as a speaker, an audience member at the auditions, or at the final event in April, visit www.tedxchilliwack.com.
jpeters@theprogress.com
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