Valerie Feit

Educator/Teacher

As the Rye Neck High School's Co-Director or Counseling and K-12 Enrichment Coordinator, I am honored to work with students in the Independent Learner Program, who are the student-producers of our event: TEDxRyeNeckHigh. My background as a dancer and choreographer is proving to be helpful here - and, the students are fantastic spirits who are all in.

Dance. If everyone danced together, we would take the connections and the high from moving our bodies and minds out of the studio, lab, room, office or wherever we find ourselves and spread that energy in many directions. People that dance together see each other sideways, upside down, bouncing and gliding - through sharing movement, we see inside one another. My motto is: Don't walk. Dance.

How about a question worth spreading? I love the TEDxYouth theme: What now? The young people who are working on this event want to keep our message interactive: Let's talk about our planet. My favorite idea comes from the minimalist composer, John Cage: It's all about make and do.

Whenever I want to inspire my students, I go to a TED talk. I run programs that help kids find and develop their talents. In the process, I have gained enormous respect for the upcoming generation of teens; they are the most informed, compassionate, self-directed and passionate generation the world has ever known. Anything I can do to help them extend their reach is where I want to put my energy. TEDxYouth is a perfect outlet and a lot of fun.

Framing conversations. Or, do they? What did you think I would say; knitting? Okay, I can knit.