Toronto, November 18, 2010—The Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION) is collaborating with MaRS and TEDx to webcast the live proceedings of TEDxYouth@Toronto to Ontario’s research and education community over its advanced network.

To mark Universal Children’s Day on November 20, major cities around the globe are holding TED-style talks geared to youth in their cities. Toronto’s event will take place at MaRS—it will feature interactive sessions and demonstrations by the Ontario Science Centre, Volunteer Toronto, University of Toronto and the Toronto Public Library.

ORION is working with MaRS, a leading research commercialization and innovation facility in Toronto, to stream the sessions live over the ORION network.

Middle and secondary school students from the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board will participate as part of the live audience at MaRS. Ryerson University and the Stiller Centre at the University of Western Ontario will host remote viewing locations connected by videoconference for their students. The Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) program at York University is helping with outreach into Ontario schools outside of Toronto by setting up additional remote viewing locations so that more students across the province can participate.

“We are excited to be part of TEDxYouth@Toronto on November 20,” says Allen Gelberg, Director of the MaRS Collaboration Centre, who is also on the organizing committee for TEDxYouth@Toronto.  ”Over the years, ORION has become an important partner of MaRS. While we have hosted many programs together, this event is a particularly exciting opportunity to share unique content with a community of young people via our partnership with ORION. We look forward to doing more in the future”.

Speakers will include science journalist Dr. Bob McDonald, host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks; ultra-marathoner Ray Zahab; Bruce Poon Tip, founder of GAP Adventures; and Boris Chan of Xtreme Labs Inc.

In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” the well-known TED Conference has created TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. The original TED Conference in California invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available for free at TED.com. Each local, self-organized TEDx event shares a similar format, bringing speakers together to present on a chosen theme.

Learn more about the live webcast at www.tedxyouthtoronto.ca. View all the global TEDxYouth events at www.livestream.com/tedxyouthday.

About ORION
Supporting speeds hundreds of times faster than the Internet, ORION is Ontario’s advanced research and education network. A not-for-profit corporation, ORION links 1.7 million Ontario researchers, scientists, students, teachers and staff who depend on ORION for teaching and learning and to enable their research collaborations and discoveries in physics, cancer research, environmental science and technologies, social sciences and the humanities and multiple other disciplines. Part of Canada’s advanced network alliance, ORION connects users and institutions to each other and, through CANARIE – Canada’s advanced research and innovation network, to high-capacity research and education networks, partners and collaborators across Canada and around the world. Learn more at www.orion.on.ca.

About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) is a mission driven innovation centre in Toronto, focused on fostering entrepreneurship, advancing commercialization and building Canada’s next generation of growth companies. MaRS works closely with technology and social entrepreneurs, providing education, market intelligence, business advice and mentorship, as well as access to critical talent, customer and capital networks.

Media Contact:
Tamara Stoll
Communications Officer
416-507-9860 ext. 224
tamara.stoll@orion.on.ca