Anca Toma

Head of Languages at Tashkent International School, TEDxYouth organiser and a storyteller at heart

Workshop Information:

TEDxYouth empowers students to step onto the stage with their own authentic ideas—not to win debates or take sides, but to amplify their voices, spark curiosity, and inspire change. 

Through storytelling, creativity, and personal conviction, young people discover confidence, empathy, and agency while connecting local perspectives to global conversations. 

Yet, the true power of TEDxYouth goes far beyond the spotlight: it thrives in the community it creates. 

Year after year, younger students are inspired by older ones, alumni return to mentor, and the tradition becomes woven into a school’s identity. 

Step into this session to explore how authenticity and community transform TEDxYouth from a one-day event into a lasting legacy—one that cultivates the human skills no machine can replace and nurtures voices with the power to change the world.

Session Outcomes:

• Identify ways to build and sustain a successful TEDxYouth event and a culture of community, where mentorship, intergenerational learning, and tradition strengthen school identity.

• Experience the impact of authentic student voice by viewing snippets of past TEDxYouth talks that showcase how storytelling fosters confidence, risk-taking, empathy, and agency.

• Reflect on how a TEDxYouth event cultivates future-ready, human-centered skills—such as creativity, communication, and critical thinking—that complement learning in an AI-driven world.

• Explore strategies to nurture student voice and agency in international school contexts, enabling young people to connect local perspectives to global conversations.

Biography:

Anca is a multilingual educator with over three decades of experience in international and public schools across Canada, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. She has taught French and English across the IB continuum and is a concept-based teaching and learning trainer. She is a strong advocate for storytelling, student voice, diversity and inclusion. Together with students, Anca has organized five TEDxYouth events (TEDxYouth@TashkentIntlSchool), building a community tradition where students take risks to share stories and ideas, connecting the personal and local perspectives to global conversations. She recently attended TEDAI Vienna 2025 TED Conference, a transformative experience that reinforced her commitment to preparing future-ready learners who can balance creativity, empathy, and human values in an AI-driven world.