This year’s theme, "IGNITE: Passion, creativity, and the sparks that lead to change," saw young speakers from across Vienna come together to share perspectives on the issues shaping their generation.
After months of intensive preparation, our students delivered four talks covering a range of complex topics: sustainable design, the importance of political literacy, identity psychology, and the constant struggle to balance creativity with stress. Beyond the presentations themselves, it was a day dedicated to building connections and sparking new ways of thinking within the international school community.
Behind the Scenes: A Student Reflection
Linete (Grade 11) shared her experience of moving from a simple observation to the TEDx stage. Her talk, "When did productivity replace purpose?", challenged the audience to look closely at the systems they live in.
"I noticed how often people—including myself—follow routines and expectations without really questioning them," Linete explained. "I realized how easy it is to just 'go along' with things, and I felt it was something worth raising awareness about, especially in a school community."
The final polished performance was the result of significant behind-the-scenes effort. Linete noted that her confidence on stage came from hours of writing, rewriting, and rehearsing. However, she also discovered that live speaking rarely goes exactly as planned.
"During the talk, I would lose myself and go off-script. But instead of stopping, I paused, breathed, and refocused on my point. I learned that communication doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective."
Linete’s goal was simple: to leave the audience questioning what truly influences their own thinking. "Even a small change in perspective would make the talk meaningful," she said.
We are incredibly proud of our speakers for their courage and the hard work they put into sharing their voices with the wider community.