Apply to Speak at TEDx Oakland Park

TEDx Oakland Park is looking for bold, original ideas worth spreading. If you have a story, insight, or perspective that can spark curiosity and inspire our community, we want to hear from you. Please complete the speaker application form below with as much detail as possible so our curation team can fairly review your talk.

TEDx Oakland Park Speaker Application

Ideas Worth Sharing from the Heart of Oakland Park

Do you have an idea worth sharing?

TEDxOakland Park is looking for bold, thoughtful, original voices to take the stage on October 3, 2026. We are seeking students and adults with ideas that can inspire conversation, challenge assumptions, and help shape the future of Oakland Park, South Florida, and beyond.

Talks will be 3–10 minutes long and must follow TEDx rules and content guidelines. We are especially interested in ideas connected to innovation, education, sustainability, youth voice, creativity, entrepreneurship, science, design, culture, civic life, and community transformation.

This is not about being famous. It is about having an idea that matters.

Event Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026

Location:The Mai-Kai, 3599 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Talk Length:3–10 minutes

Application Link / Event Info:https://surfskatescience.com/events/Tedx

TEDxOakland Park is an independently organized TEDx event created in the spirit of TED’s mission of “ideas worth spreading.” TEDx events are planned and coordinated independently, community by community, under a free license from TED.

Our purpose is to develop and amplify South Florida voices while showcasing Oakland Park as a city of creativity, innovation, sustainability, education, youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and community transformation.

We are looking for speakers with clear, original, thoughtful ideas that can inspire conversation, challenge assumptions, and create meaningful impact beyond the stage.

This is not a keynote, sales pitch, motivational speech, sermon, political rally, or personal résumé. A TEDx talk should center on one strong idea worth sharing. Speakers are not paid.

Before You Apply

Please review these official TEDx resources:

TEDx Rules:

https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/before-you-start/tedx-rules

TEDx Content Guidelines & Fact-Checking Guide:

https://www.ted.com/pages/tedx-content-guidelines-fact-checking-guide

TEDx Speaker Guide PDF:

https://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_speaker_guide.pdf

TEDx Speaker / Performer Preparation Guide:

https://www.ted.com/pages/prepare-your-speakers-performers

TEDx speakers cannot pay to speak and cannot be paid to speak. TEDx also does not allow speakers to be charged for production costs, sponsorships, ticket blocks, or required coaching.

TEDx content must avoid commercial agendas, political agendas, inflammatory rhetoric, and religious agendas.

Section 1: Speaker Information

First name

Last name

Preferred Name for Event Materials

Phone

City/State/Country of Residence

Are you based in South Florida?

Age Category

Youth

Adult

If you are a student, what school / program / organization are you connected to?

Website or Portfolio

Social Media Links

Professional Bio

Short Bio

Section 2: Your Idea Worth Sharing

Proposed Talk Title

What is the one big idea you want to share?

Please explain your idea in 1–3 sentences.

This should not be your life story, business pitch, or general topic. It should be the specific idea you want the audience to remember.

Why is this idea worth spreading now?

How does your idea connect to Oakland Park, Broward County, South Florida, or the future of local communities?

What problem, question, or opportunity does your talk address?

What do you hope the audience will think, feel, question, or do after hearing your talk?

What makes your perspective unique?

Has this idea been shared publicly before?

No, this would be the first time

Yes, in a small setting

Yes, online

Yes, at another event

Yes, but this TEDx version would be significantly different

If yes, where has it been shared?

Section 3: Talk Summary

Please provide a 250–500 word summary of your proposed talk.

Include the beginning, middle, and end of the idea. Help us understand the story, evidence, insight, and takeaway.

What is the opening moment of your talk?

How will you pull the audience in during the first 30 seconds?

What is the main story, example, research, or experience that supports your idea?

What is the strongest evidence behind your idea?

This may include lived experience, research, data, field work, case studies, community experience, design work, experiments, or professional practice.

What is the final takeaway or closing line you want the audience to leave with?

Preferred talk length

3–5 minutes

5–7 minutes

7–10 minutes

I am open to the curation team’s recommendation

Section 4: TEDx Fit and Rules

TEDx talks must follow TEDx content standards. TEDx guidance emphasizes strong curation, fact-checking, clear sourcing, and trustworthy claims, especially for science, health, technology, education, and social impact topics.

Please confirm that your talk is not a sales pitch, product pitch, fundraising pitch, business promotion, book promotion, coaching pitch, or advertisement.

I confirm

I am unsure and would like guidance

Please confirm that your talk is not designed to promote a political candidate, political party, campaign, or inflammatory political agenda.

I confirm

I am unsure and would like guidance

Please confirm that your talk is not designed to promote a religious doctrine, sermon, conversion message, or religious agenda.

I confirm

I am unsure and would like guidance

Do you have any financial, professional, organizational, or personal conflicts of interest related to the topic of your talk?

Yes

Unsure

If yes or unsure, please explain.

Are you currently a sponsor, potential sponsor, volunteer, vendor, or financial partner of TEDxOakland Park?

Yes

Unsure

Please confirm that you understand TEDx speakers are not paid and may not pay to speak.

I confirm

Please confirm that you understand sponsors cannot control the editorial content of the event or use a TEDx talk as a sponsor benefit.

I confirm

Section 5: Evidence, Fact-Checking, and Sources

This section is especially important for talks involving science, health, education, technology, environmental claims, public policy, social issues, business claims, or data.

Does your talk include research, statistics, medical/health information, scientific claims, environmental claims, legal claims, historical claims, or technical claims?

Yes

Unsure

List 3–5 sources that support your talk idea.

Please include links where possible. Peer-reviewed research, government sources, university sources, reputable journalism, original data, and direct experience are preferred.

Are any claims in your talk controversial, disputed, emerging, experimental, or not yet widely accepted?

Yes

Unsure

If yes or unsure, please explain.

Please include links where possible. Peer-reviewed research, government sources, university sources, reputable journalism, original data, and direct experience are preferred.

Are you willing to revise your talk based on TEDxOakland Park’s content review and fact-checking process?

Yes

Are you willing to provide sources for any factual claims used in your talk or slides?

Yes

Section 6: Speaking Experience

Have you spoken publicly before?

Yes

Informally only

Please list past speaking experience, if any.

Include events, classrooms, panels, workshops, podcasts, videos, performances, or community talks.

Please share a link to a past talk, video, podcast, reel, or presentation, if available.

Are you comfortable being coached, memorizing, and deeply rehearsing your talk?

Yes

I am nervous, but willing

Section 7: Slides, Props, and Media

Do you plan to use slides?

Yes

Unsure

If yes, briefly describe what your slides would show.

Do you plan to use props?

Yes

Unsure

If yes, pleasedescribe.

Do you own or have permission to use all images, videos, music, charts, and materials you may include?

Yes

Unsure

Not Applicable

Please confirm that you are willing to follow TEDx slide, copyright, production, and recording guidelines.

I confirm

Section 8: Availability and Commitment

Are you available to speak in person at TEDxOakland Park on Saturday, October 3, 2026?

Yes

Tentatively

Are you available for required speaker rehearsals leading up to the event?

Yes

Yes, depending on dates/times

*TEDx’s event program guidance states that everyone who appears on stage must sign the TEDx Speaker Release Form so the talk can be recorded and shared.

Section 9: Community Connection

Why do you want to speak at TEDxOakland Park specifically?

How does your idea support the purpose of TEDxOakland Park?

Purpose: to develop and amplify South Florida voices while showcasing Oakland Park as a city of creativity, innovation, sustainability, education, youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and community transformation.

How might your talk inspire or benefit students, families, business owners, civic leaders, creatives, educators, or changemakers in our community?

Are you connected to any local organizations, schools, businesses, nonprofits, creative communities, universities, or civic efforts that relate to your idea?

Section 10: Final Questions

In one sentence, what is your idea worth sharing?

In one sentence, why are you the right person to share it?

May we contact you about future Surf Skate Science, TEDxOakland Park, or community speaker opportunities?

Yes

Required Acknowledgment

Please check each box before submitting:

I understand that submitting an application does no

I understand that TEDxOakland Park is independently organized under a TEDx license.

I understand that selected speakers must follow TEDx rules and TEDxOakland Park deadlines.

I understand that speakers are not paid and cannot pay to speak.

I understand that TEDx talks cannot be sales pitches, political campaign speeches, religious sermons, or advertisements.

I understand that my talk may be edited, coached, fact-checked, shortened, or declined if it does not meet TEDx standards.

I understand that selected speakers will be required to sign the TEDx Speaker Release Form.

I understand that my talk may be recorded and submitted for publication according to TEDx guidelines.

I confirm that the information I provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Signature

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