FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 20, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lisa Slappy, Chief Communications and Public Relations Officer

410-386-8184 | lslappy@carrollcc.edu

Carroll Community College hosts Inaugural TEDxWestminster: "What Now, Neighbor?"

Westminster, MD ─ TEDxWestminster is set to debut on March 8, 2025, with an inspiring lineup of thought-provoking speakers and ideas. The event will take place at the Carroll Community College Theater in the Scott Center, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. and the first talk beginning at 11:00 a.m.

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events designed to bring communities together and spark deep conversation in the spirit of the globally recognized TED Talks. This inaugural TEDxWestminster event, themed “What Now, Neighbor?” will feature 10 dynamic speakers who will delve into the concept of modern-day neighborliness. In 2025 and beyond, what does it mean to be a neighbor? How can we build stronger, more connected communities across cultural, generational, and geographic divides?

The carefully curated slate of speakers will address these questions and, more importantly, explore topics that include community building, empathy, communication, and bridging gaps between individuals, groups, and cultures.

“Our aim is to highlight the importance of being neighborly by encouraging us to bridge the gaps between our differences,” said Barbara Burke, Coordinator of Community Engagement and Conferencing at Carroll. “We believe the stories and insights shared on stage will encourage the audience to reflect on the role they play in creating positive change, both in their local communities and the broader world.”

TEDxWestminster will showcase inspiring and diverse speakers from a range of backgrounds, including experts, community leaders, and innovators. Each speaker will offer their unique perspective on what it means to be a true neighbor in today’s ever-evolving world.

Event Details:

• Date: March 8, 2025
• Time: 11:00 a.m.
• Location: Theater in the Scott Center, Carroll Community College, Westminster, MD
• Tickets and List of Speakers: Available online at https://www.carrollcc.edu/tedx-westminster/

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to engage with thought leaders, share your ideas, and be inspired to take action. TEDxWestminster promises to be a day of powerful talks, meaningful connections, and transformative experiences.

About TEDxWestminster:

TEDxWestminster is the local TEDx event in Westminster, MD, dedicated to inspiring innovative thinking and fostering meaningful conversations. Our inaugural event, themed “What Now, Neighbor?” will explore how we can create a more connected, compassionate world.

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, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. 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 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to discovering, debating and spreading ideas that spark conversation, deepen understanding and drive meaningful change. Our organization is devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others, and we invite everyone to engage with ideas and activate them in your community.

TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans a multitude of worldwide communities and initiatives exploring everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues. In addition to the TED Talks curated from our annual conferences and published on TED.com, we produce original podcasts, short video series, animated educational lessons (TED-Ed) and TV programs that are translated into more than 100 languages and distributed via partnerships around the world. Each year, thousands of independently run TEDx events bring people together to share ideas and bridge divides in communities on every continent. Through the Audacious Project, TED has helped catalyze more than $3 billion in funding for projects that seek to make the world more beautiful, sustainable and just. In 2020, TED launched Countdown, an initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis and mobilize a movement for a net- zero future, and in 2023 TED launched TED Democracy to spark a new kind of conversation focused on realistic pathways towards a more vibrant and equitable future. View a full list of TED’s many programs and initiatives.

Follow TED on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X.

About Carroll Community College

Carroll Community College’s mission is Empowering learners. Changing lives. Building community. Carroll Community College (Carroll) provides accessible, high-quality educational opportunities to advance careers, enrich lives, and strengthen the community we serve. Carroll offers academic and career preparation leading to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, and for direct entry into professional opportunities. Carroll Community College is located at 1601 Washington Road, Westminster, Md., 21157. Visit us on our website at www.carrollcc.edu.