TEDxAcademic City University

If you had asked my younger self six years ago what he could never imagine doing, I doubt he would have mentioned anything close to hosting one of the biggest student-led events on campus. The closest he’d probably come would be having his face constantly in a book (which, to be honest, hasn’t really changed). I’ve never really been a big fan of stages. You’d find me building them, not necessarily standing on them. But life has a way of pushing us beyond our comfort zones. It was an incredible experience creating a platform where others could share their stories. TEDxAcademic City University was more than just a one-day event. It took months of preparation. From long road trips with my co-lead outside the region for sponsorships to pacing through stores, searching for the perfect elements to create the “TEDx feel”. None of this would have been possible without an amazing team of individuals who dedicated their time and effort to bring this vision to life. The theme, "Ripples to Waves," was a true reflection of what we achieved. It represented the selfless acts of service, the seemingly small but meaningful contributions, and the collective impact that led to something bigger than ourselves. One quote that has stuck with me is from Eve Asante: "The big waves that we want are literally in the little ripples, we just need to start. No matter how small." The actions you take today may not create an immediate impact, but they will shape something greater in the future. All you need to do is start. And you don’t have to do it alone. #TEDx #Teamwork #TED - TED Conferences

Last Saturday, I attended my first-ever TEDx event at Academic City University, and it left me with powerful questions to reflect on my journey, my growth, and the future I want to create. Here are some key takeaways that stood out: ⇾Trust in reciprocal rejection. You're allowed to reject what doesn't align with you. Sometimes,"no" is just redirection, not failure. ⇾The world is evolving, and you need to evolve with it. Will your skills and experience still be relevant tomorrow? Growth is a lifelong journey, not a destination. ⇾What do you NOT want to become? Clarity on what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to pursue. ⇾Identify what will truly fulfill you in the long run. Success without fulfillment feels empty. ⇾Who do you want to work with? The right people can propel your journey in ways you can't imagine. ⇾It might be hard but you've got to stay consistent to the vision, not the emotion. ⇾Build resilience to push through challenges that come your way. You can do it! ⇾Keep showing up. The future belongs to those who do. ⇾Never underestimate the value of cheerleading— support ideas that strongly resonate, people you admire and most importantly, yourself. You're the greatest investment you could ever make. ⇾Above all, embrace the journey to becoming the best version of yourself with courage. The world is yours to conquer! ✨ Many thanks to Cat Davison, Elinam Horgli, Eugene Ewusi-Annan, Emmanuel Anti & Eve Asante for sharing their knowledge and personal experiences — your words definitely inspired me with fresh perspectives to explore and a deeper desire to grow. 🫶🏼 *Video from TedxAcity's Instagram. #TEDx #TEDxAcity #TEDxAcademicCityUniversity #PersonalDevelopment #Resilience #GrowthMindset

📺 I'm very excited to introduce the EduSpots TedTalk: How to Build a Movement for Community-led Education! Little did I think 10 years ago that I’d be doing a Ted Talk, sharing an idea that we believe might just change the world. Our idea is simple: 🔥 Creating spaces for learning within schools and/or communities, that act as innovation hubs through play-based, practical and team-based education that aims to foster wider civic action through bringing learners, Catalysts and community members together to build sustainable futures. 📲 And these spaces don’t exist in isolation, they are connected in a tech-supported grassroots network, enabling mutual inspiration, collaboration and connection across diverse contexts, through monthly team-based challenges. 📍 The 'Spot' idea sparked from the Ghanaian concept of a ‘drinking Spot’ - taking the dialogue, community, and entertainment we might find in a local social space, into an educational setting. 📝 We are excited to soon be sharing our first independent evaluation, which confirms that EduSpots is advancing the targeted educational outcomes, whilst inspiring a network of active citizens who feel that they are shaping the organisation as it develops. 💡 We don't have all the answers, but we have learnings from across 50 Spots that we believe could be used to help build sustainable solutions to local and global challenges through an ‘inside-out’ approach to education, rising from authentic, passion-driven collaboration. Although I’m the one on the stage, this is an EduSpots TedTalk. 🫶 And I want to send a special 'WOW clap' to the thousands of individuals who have come together to build this growing grassroots movement. 💚 This talk is dedicated to the creativity, perseverance and playfulness of the Catalyst network, especially to those whose stories I shared with permission (Carlos Adu, Getrude and Janet), and to the learners they work alongside who are fast becoming the changemakers of tomorrow. 🙏 It is shared with huge gratitude to the Academic City University student team for inviting me to talk, and appreciation for the unwavering support of EduSpots' staff & trustee team, to all our supporters and sponsors, with a special mention to Noah Demuyakor who created the awesome slides. 🧨 LET'S GO: Please help us spread this talk far and wide! Here's how... 1. Share any idea you took from this talk, and post in the comments below today! ⬇️ 2. Please reshare this post or the TedTalk with your own networks, ideally with your own comments. 🔁 3. Please go onto the YouTube link and add your comments there! ↔️ 🌦️ I leave you the closing question: “What idea could we create together, rather than sitting in the rain, waiting for someone from outside to clear the skies for us.” 🥂 Here's to: Our Collective Future! ➡️ The talk: https://lnkd.in/d_yc-rB4 #TedTalk #TedXSpeaker #EduSpots

When I applied for this role with TEDxAcademic City University, I had a moment of doubt—was I ready for this? But deep down, I knew I wanted to be part of something amazing. Fast forward, and I found myself leading an incredible team as the 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 for this unforgettable experience! It was a journey filled with teamwork, problem-solving, and the pure joy of seeing everything come to life. And I couldn’t have asked for a better team to go through it with—they were simply the best! 💫 One of the biggest highlights? The powerful sessions from Cat Davison, Emmanuel Anti, Eve A., Eugene Ewusi-Annan, and Elinam Horgli. Their stories were raw, inspiring, and a reflection of the impact of storytelling. Each speaker left us with something valuable—lessons on growth, resilience, purpose, and the courage to embrace our journeys. A huge thank you to everyone who played a role in making TEDxAcademic City University a success—especially our incredible leads, Fiifi Dawson and Beata Ackun, for their guidance and support throughout the journey. Your leadership made all the difference! Experiences like these remind me why I love what I do, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! 💡✨ #TEDxAcademicCityUniversity #EventLeadership #Storytelling #Growth #Gratitude #LessonsForLife

When I applied for this role with TEDxAcademic City University, I had a moment of doubt—was I ready for this? But deep down, I knew I wanted to be part of something amazing. Fast forward, and I found myself leading an incredible team as the 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 for this unforgettable experience! It was a journey filled with teamwork, problem-solving, and the pure joy of seeing everything come to life. And I couldn’t have asked for a better team to go through it with—they were simply the best! 💫 One of the biggest highlights? The powerful sessions from Cat Davison, Emmanuel Anti, Eve A., Eugene Ewusi-Annan, and Elinam Horgli. Their stories were raw, inspiring, and a reflection of the impact of storytelling. Each speaker left us with something valuable—lessons on growth, resilience, purpose, and the courage to embrace our journeys. A huge thank you to everyone who played a role in making TEDxAcademic City University a success—especially our incredible leads, Fiifi Dawson and Beata Ackun, for their guidance and support throughout the journey. Your leadership made all the difference! Experiences like these remind me why I love what I do, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! 💡✨ #TEDxAcademicCityUniversity #EventLeadership #Storytelling #Growth #Gratitude #LessonsForLife

✨ TEDxAcademicCity was a resounding success! ✨ From thought-provoking ideas to inspiring stories, our incredible speakers made this event truly unforgettable. A huge thank you to: TEDx 🎤 Cat Davison 🎤 Elinam Horgli 🎤 Emmanuel Anti 🎤 Eve A. 🎤 Eugene Ewusi-Annan Your insights sparked meaningful conversations, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your contributions. Here’s to spreading ideas that shape the future! 🚀 #TEDxAcademicCity #TEDx #IdeasWorthSpreading #Innovation #Inspiration #PublicSpeaking #Ghana #Success #Ripplestowaves

🧗♀️ What if we show the ‘behind the scenes’ versions of our working lives, so people can see how outcomes are produced? This relates to everyone, but especially as leaders, I believe we have a responsibly to enable people to see (part of) the hidden journeys behind the results - otherwise people may make unhelpful assumptions. 🙃 I remember a colleague once said to me - “you just smile your way through life” - he confirmed that he indeed meant I just smiled and stuff seemed to happen. At that time, it couldn’t be further from the truth. ⭕ This thought came back again last weekend, in the hours before the Ted Talk. Whilst other speakers were calmly chatting, I was behind scenes pacing the corridors, repeating word after word, and moving through each action, having rehearsed likely 500 times and listening to a recording of the speech non-stop for a week. I realised some of my amazing EduSpots support squad had not seen the ‘behind the scenes’ version of me before, and looked a little concerned. But for me, it’s always been normal - when something’s important (especially to others - in this case, for the EduSpots’ network), I can go into overdrive to make something the best it possibly can be - whilst also learning to accept what is 'good enough' in the right areas. 😬 And I tell you, it’s not easy doing a Ted Talk, with severe memory challenges, frequent ‘brain freeze’, some deep anxiety around your positioning and storytelling as a founder, all on the anniversary of your dad’s death… but with enough preparation it was possible! 🙏 👩🍳 Here's the ‘behind the scenes’ reality of the recipe behind a process of dream-creating! 1. Focused hard work. 2. More focused hard work. 😃 3. Realising that the bigger the dream, the more you need to play catch-up in skills, understanding and in mindset to get there. 😃😃 4. More focused hard work to catch-up on the learning. 😃😃😃 5. Team-building to bring the skills and capacity you don't have because of the size of the BIG DREAM. 😃😃😃😃 🔥 Of course, having genuine passion for the dream means that it mostly looks like focused fun, rather than sacrifice. 🆘 🙋♀️ But I've realised that the above can all be easier, when we reach out for support in the process. 🪟 So let's give people a window into (some of) the reality behind the outputs! 📺 Oh and here’s the ‘Ted Talk - behind the scenes’… I didn't really capture the mad rehearsing, anxiety, or fear - but I assure you it’s there, beneath all the joy, claps and smiles! Just ask Getrude, Gloria or Akorfa...  😂 TEDxAcademic City University #leadership  #tedtalk #eduspots #OurCollectiveFuture

🌦️ What if the thunderstorms we are passing through today, are clearing the skies for tomorrow? ⭕ On Saturday, I braved my 1st TedTalk, on the theme of “How to build a movement for community-led education." The talk is suffused with play-based claps as I aim to emulate the philosophies we practise. 🤔 Weaving in the 'rain clap' led to a reflection that EduSpots was born in a thunderstorm in more than one sense. ⛈️ It was December 2014. I was in Abofour with the Addae family and Francis, a local driver. There was thunder and lightening, and the lights were out. A thunderstorm of another kind was also passing through me. My dad had recently died, and I was sitting in my own kind of darkness. ⚡ In that very storm, as the rain and hail pounded the roof, we decided to create a Spot - the first Spot - known between us, to be in memory of dad. 🌅 And 10 years later, the Spot is open every day and night. It's lit by solar, symbolically, so that the light never goes out. 🌧️ The Spot concept gained its own life, building a new kind of educational firestorm that we think may spread far beyond its origins in Ghana. ☂️ Yes, I hear you: we shouldn’t have to suffer the fiercest storms to reach a new future. And sometimes no brighter sky is worth the thunderclap that hits. 🌪️ But as I stood on the TedX ‘Spot’ doing the 'rain clap', on the anniversary of my dad’s death, in a country far from my original home, I realised that sometimes you have to let life play out, and own your story, accepting its twists - and 'twisters'. 📝 Here are 3 other examples of how 'storms' have led to new beginnings: 1. The 1st Spot was hit by a big storm a year after its creation. Remarkably, this led to the rebuilding of the school, and a much bigger Spot within it, all through the support that grew from seeing the disaster. 2. During the Covid years, we went through an 'internal storm' of being unsure of EduSpots' direction, making me (and likely others!) feel a deep sense of anxiety; this led us to clarifying the Spot model, bringing Catalysts across the network together. When Covid cleared, we were reborn! 3. Being hit by severe illness in 2021 and moving through a long period of genuine hopelessness - the biggest storm I've been through - led to me quitting my UK job and going all in with EduSpots, a decision I never regret, not even a tiny bit; my energy is now returning, and today I feel a sense of rebirth. And a fun fact - I was born during one of the biggest storms the UK has faced! Hopefully I played a role in clearing the skies 😊. 🤗 And the advice? Reach out and tell others about the weather that is passing through you. 🌩️ They can’t help you until you let them feel the thunder bolts. 🙏 And we can only hope that the turmoil the world is moving through today, will lead to some kind of reset. How have you used a storm to rebuild? Comment ⬇️ 📸 Rain clap @ TEDxAcademic City University #tedtalk #education #community

Today, every year, I take a day to remember my dad, Roger Davison, who left us 12 years ago this morning - but somewhere, he’s still bouncing around. And in the strange workings of the world, this would be the day of all days, to invited to do a TedTalk. 10 years after the idea for the first Spot came together in Abofour, known between us to be in his memory, today, we share #OurCollectiveStory publically for the first time. “If you don’t care, you’ll get eaten by tigers.” 🐅 And sometimes you just need to let life play itself out. Here we go… 🙏💚 EduSpots TEDxAcademic City University #tedx #tedtalk #inmemoryofroger

📣 We need to urgently create education spaces that reflect the kind of societies we want to live in! ⭕ This is the core message embedded within my first TedX talk, tomorrow (😬 !) - and I believe this is one of the most pressing priorities for the world today, on #InternationalDayofEducation. 💡 The 'Spot' concept aims to be a catalyst for wider community change, working with and through schools, connecting them with the wider community context in a process of future building. 🐛 ⏩ 🦋 Here are three ways that the EduSpots concept aims to support this process of societal transformation via classroom and community spaces: 1. EduSpots' learning activities via 'monthly challenges' are suffused with things we value in real life: play, joy, inclusive principles, respectful and open dialogue - to name a few! We hope this will create a ripple effect across the schools and communities the Catalysts are positioned within. 2. Teamwork and strategic collaboration towards shared goals between learners, Catalysts, and wider community groups is promoted and praised, over individual achievement or academic excellence, or solo acts of heroism. 3. The ultimate aim of learning is defined as nurturing critically informed, empathetic and active local and global citizens, with our evaluative measures shaped around this core goal relating to group well-being, rather than individual progress or attainment. 🔥 Importantly, the communities themselves determine what those civic actions look like, with Catalysts, learners and teachers coming together to dream, define, and create the futures they want to live and leave behind for future generations, through education. 📆 The theme of today's education day is 'AI and education: preserving human agency in a world of automation'. Central to the AI discussion is how we can preserve human intention, culture and character, whilst leveraging on all the opportunities AI opens. ❓ I think there is a bigger question at the heart of the debate: what kind of society do we want to create? 👩🏫 And how do schools and community learning spaces reflect those structures in how learners, teachers and community members interrelate? ⬇️ How do you think we can best enable classrooms to reflect the communities of the future? Share your ideas below! 📹 The final TedX dress rehearsal... take a peek inside the talk! 👀 TEDxAcademic City University #tedtalk #education #community