Fairview High School students are sharing what they love with the community this week through TED-style talks.
Fairview’s National Honor Society is organizing the Ignite event for a second year to raise money for the “I Have a Dream Foundation” of Boulder County. Last year, the event raised about $1,000.
“High school student opinions are often disregarded,” said Fairview senior Isabella Gibb, one of the event organizers. “We want people to reconsider their role in policy and education.”
Co-organizer Aparajita Kaphle, also a senior, added the event is a good way for students to raise money while incorporating what they’re passionate about.
“It’s community service, and it says your voice matters,” she said.
Along with Fairvirew’s annual event, Boulder also has a longstanding Ignite group for adults with events scheduled every few months.
At Fairview, 13 students are planning to present talks, which must follow a 5-minute format with 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds. Their topics range from Kanye West to “bullshit science” to the impact of teachers on students’ career choices. Students were chosen through auditions to reduce repetition.
Sophomore Deven Lemercier is talking about how individuals can impact climate change, emphasizing buying used goods, using goods as long as possible before replacing them and “supporting the right companies so better changes will happen.”
“It’s a good way to share my views and opinions,” he said. “Climate change is the most important issue for our generation. Hopefully, the more we advocate, the better we will get.”
Fairview junior Noga Maragalit is using the Ignite event to share how she used free software work to create digital art, working around the less robust features when compared to the paid versions.
“It’s something I’m passionate about and want to share,” she said, adding she doesn’t want other students to be discouraged if they can’t afford fancy software.
“I try to make the software work to the best of its ability,” she said.
For junior Ellie Greene, the talks are an opportunity to share her lifelong love of gardening.
“It’s an underappreciated subject,” she said. “We all have to eat food. We should know where it comes from. It should be taught in school.”
Senior Will Hartman’s topic is “art and the apocalypse,” an idea he decided to explore after a class discussion on the philosophy of art.
“You can talk about anything you want and share it with everyone around you in an organized way,” he said.
If you go
What: Fairview Ignite talks
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Fairview High School, 1515 Greenbriar Blvd., Boulder
Cost: $10 a person
