Oakland County Students Spark Ideas at TED-Style Conference

Whether it’s giving a business pitch to potential investors or a lecture presentation to students, public speaking skills are an incredibly valuable asset for any professional.

Students at the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills has organized an event that helps students put some finesse on their idea-pitching skills. Called KUBE (Knowledge, Understanding, Belief and Experience), it’s modeled after the popular TED format, where participants give short, passionate talks about various topics.

The idea for the event started in a conversation in philosophy class between Will Erickson and Amit Mizrahi, two seniors. They both felt that the International Academy had many students who would benefit from an open dialogue of ideas but did not have a platform on which to do so.

Both students had watched many TED talks in the past and wanted to bring this type of experience to their school. They originally wanted to establish a TEDx event, but found that there was no easily accessible way to start one.

So, with the help of school administration, the two students founded their own conference event. The team organizing the event quickly grew to nine students, including sophomores, juniors and other seniors from all over Oakland County. Within weeks, they had a website up and running and many students expressed interest in auditioning for the event, with more than 30 applications for speakers.

Seven speakers presented talks at the event, which was held Feb. 6 on the International Academy campus. These speakers came from all four grade levels, with topics ranging from vexillology (the study of flags) to the importance of global education. According to Erickson and Mizrahi, some of these students had never spoken in front of large audiences before.

Although KUBE is primarily student-­run, the staff at the International Academy – consistently ranked the top public high schools in Michigan – have been very supportive of KUBE’s endeavors.

Related:

• International Academy No. 5 on Newsweek List of America’s Best High Schools
• Bloomfield’s International Academy Ranked No. 1 in Michigan
• Officials, Parents React to International Academy’s No. 1 Ranking

Associate Principal Christopher Smith said KUBE is a great way for students to connect to the IB Learner Profile, a standard by which all IA students live.

“KUBE is a great opportunity for students to express their ideas, and it certainly exemplifies the traits found in the Learner Profile,” Smith said.

Sarah Clancy, an International Academy graduate who now teaches literature t the school, hopes KUBE has staying power.

“C​elebrating our diverse interests through this unique form of verbal communication adds yet another reason to my ‘Why I Love IA Students’ list,” Clancy said. “The facthat it is student-led and will highlight strong leaders furthers my desire that KUBE will remain a part of the IA’s culture in the future.”​

The idea has now transformed from a one-­time event into a program that revolves not only around the conference experience but also the promotion of communication and public speaking skills.

In addition, founders Erickson and Mizrahl hope that in the future, the event will bring students at the International Academy closer together. The students intend to expand KUBE and provide more schools the opportunity to host their own student-­led conferences.

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Photos submitted by the International Academy