With a little more than two weeks until show time, things are starting to pick up for the first-ever TedX event in Squamish.
Tickets went on sale for the independently organized event designed to spark discussion and connection in a group setting on Nov. 2, and organizers have confirmed four speakers.
Entrepreneur Jayson Faulkner, general manager and co-founder of the Sea to Sky Gondola, will discuss how community engagement overcame opposition to the gondola project. Faulkner's talk dovetails with TedX's exploration of change in Squamish.
Educator Anne Thomson will discuss how we can build education models in which the arts are infused into every decision. Thomson has been teaching through the arts for more than 20 years and is currently the performing arts teacher at Mamquam Elementary. Her school is one of six in the province to have been chosen as an Arts Infusion school through Artstarts B.C.
Well-known local artist Stan Matwychuk has also thrown his hat into the TedX project. He will talk about how the Squamish arts scene is helping to change and enhance Squamish. Matwychuk is the talent behind Homebase Studios in Squamish and has worked with brands such as CTV, VANOC and brand.LIVE. His work has also been featured publicly in both Squamish and Whistler.
Youth advocate Cindy Pettit has joined the event to chat about transforming schools' positions from punisher to advocate for children. Pettit has worked with at-risk youth and their families for more than 27 years and co-developed the Langley School District's Project Resiliency, which encourages support, connections and coping as opposed to punishment.
Each speaker will talk for 18 minutes or less. The remaining six speakers at TedX Squamish will be announced on Thursday (Oct. 17). It all goes down at Quest University on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on the event, visit www.tedxsquamish.com.
