Youth Leadership: Changing the World Through Service | Jean Iris Lauron | TEDxYouth@SanNewSchool

Summary

In this speech, a teenager named Jean Lauren shares her personal journey of overcoming low societal expectations. She reflects on her experience of organizing a large-scale service project, 'Hope for the Holidays,' which involved collecting and donating toys, books, and clothes to underprivileged communities in China and the Philippines. Jean emphasizes the importance of challenging oneself to reach higher, take leadership, and make a positive impact on the world. She encourages young people to tap into their potential, raise their standards, and strive to create meaningful change in society.

Takeaways

• 💡 Low expectations of teenagers are common, but they should be challenged and raised.
• 📝 The speaker, Jean Lauren, reflects on the routine life of students filled with school, activities, and homework, often leaving little room for personal growth.
• 🌏 Jean's experience in the Philippines during the pandemic opened her eyes to privilege and the struggles of impoverished communities.
• 🎁 This experience inspired Jean to start 'Hope for the Holidays,' a service project collecting toys, books, and clothes for both local Chinese and Filipino communities.
• 👥 Jean realized that while she couldn’t manage the project alone, teamwork and collaboration were key to its success.
• 📊 Through organizing the project, she gained valuable skills such as managing spreadsheets, writing emails, and leading teams.
• 📚 Despite being young, she believes teenagers have the potential to create meaningful change in the world.
• 💪 The project’s success emphasized the importance of perseverance, leadership, and pushing beyond one's limitations.
• 🌳 Jean encourages her peers to reject low expectations, embrace growth, and become active leaders in addressing global challenges like poverty and climate change.
• 🎤 Jean's speech concludes with an interactive message: always reach higher, challenge yourself, and make a positive impact on the world.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the script, and how do they introduce themselves?

The speaker is Jean Lauren, a teenager who actively stands up against low expectations. She introduces herself as a typical teenager with a drive to do something impactful.

What key realization did the speaker have about societal expectations for teenagers?

The speaker realized that society has low expectations for teenagers, such as getting good grades and avoiding bad behavior. She found this insulting and believed that the standards should be higher to challenge young people to reach their full potential.

What experience led the speaker to see the world through a different lens?

The speaker had an eye-opening experience when her family returned to the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. She witnessed the struggles of impoverished communities, which made her realize how privileged her own life had been.

What family project did the speaker participate in during her time in the Philippines?

The speaker and her family raised money to provide bags of rice and milk to families in poor areas of their village in the Philippines. This project allowed her to contribute directly to those in need.

What initiative did the speaker start after returning to China, and what inspired it?

After returning to China, the speaker started a service project called 'Hope for the Holidays,' a toy, book, and clothes drive. She was inspired by her experience in the Philippines and wanted to give back by sending her old belongings to those in need.

What challenges did the speaker face while organizing the 'Hope for the Holidays' project?

The speaker faced many challenges, including organizing a large project, delegating tasks, and managing logistics like shipping donations to both local Chinese schools and impoverished communities in the Philippines. She also realized that she couldn't handle everything alone and needed help from her school's departments and peers.

What was the outcome of the 'Hope for the Holidays' project?

The project collected 3,452 donations, including 921 toys, 1,127 pieces of clothing, and 1,304 books. Half of the toys and books were sent to a local Chinese elementary school, while the other half went to communities in the Philippines.

What skills did the speaker learn from organizing the project?

The speaker learned practical skills such as creating Excel spreadsheets, writing emails, and organizing meetings. She also developed leadership and teamwork skills by working with various teams and managing different aspects of the project.

What message does the speaker want to convey about the potential of young people?

The speaker wants to convey that young people have hidden potential and can accomplish great things, even if they are inexperienced. She believes that with the right opportunities and challenges, teenagers can lead and make meaningful changes in the world.

How does the speaker use a Disney reference to conclude her speech?

The speaker concludes her speech with a quote from Disney's Pocahontas: 'How high can a sycamore grow? But if you cut it down, then you'll never know.' She uses this to emphasize that embracing low expectations limits personal growth, and encourages her audience to keep growing and pushing their limits.