Having developed a reputation across the state as an institution where innovation can thrive, this spring College of the Canyons will take those efforts one step further with TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons taking place on April 18.

Ideas worth spreading – that is the mission behind TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) and the independently organized, TEDx events that have been inspiring audiences.

Held in Long Beach, the annual TED conference is traditionally focused around a central theme or idea, and has featured a wide range of high-profile and influential speakers in its history — including Bill Clinton, Tim Berners Lee, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall — who have captivated audiences with their thought-provoking, inspirational speeches.

Renowned in academic and intellectual circles, TED conferences have been described by attendees as “the ultimate brain spa” and “a four-day journey into the future, in the company of those creating it.”

This spring, College of the Canyons will make its first venture into the world of TEDx with TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons, an independently organized event licensed by TED and focused on the topic of connectivity — specifically how connected communities can increase the well-being of individuals, and as a result, improve global welfare.

“At COC, we have a culture of connectivity within the campus and throughout the community,” said Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine, COC professor and TEDx faculty advisor. “The purpose of this conference is to reach a new level of human well-being worldwide, by challenging humanity to promote the increase of intellectual discussion and to develop new approaches and methods in connectivity.”

TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons will follow TED’s well-known format of 18-minute presentations from various speakers as well as other performances and demonstrations.

Attendees will also have opportunities to view acclaimed TEDTalks videos of past conference speakers, as part of the day’s activities.

Dr. Satinder Dhiman, author of “Seven Habits of Highly Fulfilled People,” will be speaking at the conference on the topic of connectivity in relation to oral tradition and sustainability.

Other speakers will include John Makevich (Director of Distance and Accelerated Learning at College of the Canyons), Barbara Goldberg (Founder of Wells Bring Hope), John Milburn (Director of the Employee Training Institute at College of the Canyons) and John Lewis Parker (award-winning songwriter, producer and music executive).

TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in Mentry Hall Room 305, located on the college’s Valencia campus.

Conference admission is $15 for students and $25 for non-students, if registered by Saturday, March 30. Beginning on Monday, April 1, admission will be $30.

TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons is hosted by the college’s TEDx Club and is sponsored by COC Associated Student Government (ASG), the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) and Logix.

To register in advance for TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons, please contact Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine at (661) 362-5806 or visit www.TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons.com.

About TEDx, x= independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a non-profit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. Speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with a TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; the annual TEDGlobal conference is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, the recently launched TED-Ed platform for students and educators, the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide, and TEDBooks, short e-books by speakers that elaborate on a single idea originally presented on TED’s stage. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Follow TED on Twitter or on Facebook.

For more information about the TED conference concept or to watch videos of past presenters, please visit www.ted.com.