Empathy, Education, Inclusion: A Guide to Real Friendship | Emma Liu | TEDxYouth@GrandviewHeights

foreign I'm sure we've all noticed this in our school a student sitting alone at lunch staring across the room like an astronaut Lost in Space all around are there kids happily chatting laughing and maybe even sharing food and their own Circles of friendship sadly not everyone has friends and not everyone belongs in circles of friendship some of us are quietly facing loneliness and challenges that make us feel different today I want to talk about something that's really close to my heart friendships and making friends but not just any friends who don't look like us Talk

Like Us or maybe even have a disability no I know what you might be thinking I already have friends why should I make more friends it's easier to stick with my friends right now it's easier but not better because what if that the only person was you sitting alone at recess struggling to connect with others because of who you are and what you can or cannot do it's definitely not a great feeling but guess what we have the incredible power to change that you have the incredible power to change that because each of us can

create a world where everyone is accepted loved and included So today we're embarking on a mission to reach out and touch more lives we'll explore the wonders of inclusion empathy and education to spread kindness and make friends in a world that sometimes feels a little too lonely let me tell you about my friend Ben is a little different from most kids in our class sometimes he is so full of energy that he runs around in class and it makes it hard for all of us to concentrate everybody seemed afraid of him and stayed away from

it but I thought I should give him a chance and I'm so glad I did as I got to know bed better I realized something awesome about him he was an incredible writer he could put words together in the most amazing way and his poems always sounded so beautiful Ben would write letters just for me and it made me feel so special but here's the thing nobody else seemed to appreciate Ben's touts no one would invite him to their birthdays or include him in their group of friends it made both me and Ben really sad

I knew he was such a kind person and it hurt to see him left out when it was his birthday he invited me over to his home we played some games had some sushi Ben was so happy he felt included and valued and I felt like I had made a change in his life being Francis Ben taught me to be inclusive which means including everyone and not leaving anyone out it means looking beyond the differences and seeing the awesomeness in each person 's ADHD didn't Define it it was just a small part of who he

was by being his friend I showed him that he mattered and that he was seen and valued for who he truly was so no matter how different people like Ben Macy let's be inclusive let's open our hearts and reach out with the friendly head let's be open-minded and give everyone a chance to shine next I want to talk about my best friend Michaela now Michaela is like super tall I mean seriously tall when I first met her I actually thought she was the teacher's helper but when she sat down I realized that she was one

of us just like with Ben my classmates didn't want to talk to Michaela they thought she was different because she was big and tall and I made them afraid to talk to her but I did and I'm so glad I did because Michaela is one of the nicest people I know I also found out that she became super tall just because her parents were tall it's as simple as that it doesn't make her any less awesome or any less deserving of friendship in fact her height is what makes her unique and special here's the cool

part Michaela is fantastic at spelling she's like a spelling superhero whenever I need help practicing my spelling she's right there ready to learn and she's also always so kind and generous especially with being tall short or anything in between dozens Define Who We Are it's the kindness generosity and unique talents we have that really matter being friends with Michaela taught me a lot about empathy empathy is putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding how they feel so let's celebrate our differences let's spread empathy like confetti and let's create a safe place where everyone is

welcomed as who they really are finally I want to share about my friend Roy is what some of us call a special needs student which means he learns in a different way and he's a special teacher's helper it's not easy for Roy to communicate so he often feels left out but there's so much more to Roy than meets the eye one thing I discovered about him is his incredible sense of humor one time during a game of toastable he did something that made us all burst until after he put the ball on his head I

started wobbling around like a silly robot trying to entertain us we couldn't help but laugh together in that moment I found that Roy has an amazing personality full of fun and a desire to connect with others sadly many people find it hard to talk to Roy they may feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to talk to him that's where education and support comes in by educating ourselves about those with special needs we can learn about different ways to communicate with them and have a greater understanding about them with an education we should support them we

should stand up for their rights their dignity and their happiness because everyone deserves equal opportunities so no matter how different people like Roy Macy let's educate ourselves about those with special needs let's stand up for them and let's be their allies and champions I am so glad to have Ben Michaela and Roy as my friends and be a part of my life we learned so much about each other we understand the challenges we all go through and we all became a better person because of it inclusion empathy education and support these are important things that

can build bridges of friendships and change lives for the better so let's be inclusive and have more friends like Ben let's practice empathy and understand what kids like Michaela are going through and let's learn more and support those like Roy who are trying so hard to keep up with the rest of us each day but more importantly let's take the lead and be role models for other kids because this this can be our superpower that can make a real change in someone's life thank you [Applause] [Music]