Caroline Wilkes

Concerned citizen, Educator/Teacher, Parent

I am Director of Futures & Innovation at Francis Holland School, Sloane Square, London. I applied for and hold the TEDx licence for the school and we've had three highly successful TEDx events so far and are looking forward to the fourth. I'm particularly interested in inter-disciplinary learning, partnerships with other organisations and schools, students volunteering and helping students find their early career pathways.

Helping people work out what they want to be/do. I spend a lot of time talking to teenagers about what they think they want to do when they leave full time education. My motto is 'No Regrets' - it's so important to try things out, even if they go wrong, in order to be able to move on to the next thing, if the first one doesn't work out, with positivity and optimism!

People routinely underestimate the originality of teenagers.

Event management, Higher Education, Story telling, Teaching

Having been a fan of TED talks, I discovered TEDx when I started my current role five years ago. I've been astonished and delighted by the originality of the ideas brought to the event and the way I've been made to think differently because of it. I believe TEDx events can be life changing for young people in building their confidence, promoting oracy and communication skills and promoting an idea.

Singing!