Jingting "Lily" Kang, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame, talks about lessons she learned on a high school service trip to a rural part of China. Though she found meaning in the experience, she was disheartened to learn her work did not make a significant difference in the lives of the people she wanted to help. She urges the millions of Americans who volunteer internationally to remember three principles: Service is not a transaction, service does not mean saving the world, and service requires respect.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)