1
00:00:17,193 --> 00:00:18,343
When you're a kid,

2
00:00:18,345 --> 00:00:21,152
you get asked this one
particular question a lot.

3
00:00:21,152 --> 00:00:23,424
It really gets kind of annoying.

4
00:00:23,646 --> 00:00:26,201
"What do you want to be
when you grow up?"

5
00:00:26,614 --> 00:00:29,072
Now, adults are hoping for answers like

6
00:00:29,072 --> 00:00:30,814
"I want to be an Astronaut" or

7
00:00:30,814 --> 00:00:32,833
"I want to be a Neurosurgeon".

8
00:00:33,496 --> 00:00:36,165
You adults and
your imaginations. (Laughter)

9
00:00:36,165 --> 00:00:37,221
Kids,

10
00:00:37,221 --> 00:00:39,681
they are more likely to answer with
pro skateboarder

11
00:00:39,691 --> 00:00:41,973
surfer or Minecraft player.

12
00:00:42,533 --> 00:00:44,341
I asked my little brother,
and he said,

13
00:00:44,341 --> 00:00:46,696
"Seriously dude, I'm 10,
I have no idea,

14
00:00:46,696 --> 00:00:48,060
probably a pro skier.

15
00:00:48,060 --> 00:00:49,447
Let's go get some ice cream!"

16
00:00:49,447 --> 00:00:50,811
(Laughter)

17
00:00:50,816 --> 00:00:52,416
See, us kids are going to answer

18
00:00:52,416 --> 00:00:54,279
with something we're stoked on

19
00:00:54,279 --> 00:00:55,957
What we think is cool.

20
00:00:55,957 --> 00:00:57,473
What we have experience with,

21
00:00:57,473 --> 00:01:00,476
and that's typically the opposite
of what adults want to hear.

22
00:01:01,141 --> 00:01:02,815
But if you ask a little kid,

23
00:01:02,815 --> 00:01:05,076
sometimes you'll get the best answer,

24
00:01:05,097 --> 00:01:07,348
something so simple,
so obvious,

25
00:01:07,348 --> 00:01:09,265
and really profound.

26
00:01:10,045 --> 00:01:12,352
"When I grow up,
I want to be happy".

27
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:14,600
For me, when I grow up,

28
00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,221
I want to continue to be happy

29
00:01:16,221 --> 00:01:17,642
like I am now.

30
00:01:17,958 --> 00:01:19,466
I'm stoked to be here at TEDx,

31
00:01:19,466 --> 00:01:20,887
I've been watching TED videos

32
00:01:20,887 --> 00:01:22,585
for as long as I can remember.

33
00:01:22,585 --> 00:01:25,349
But I never thought I'd make it
on stage here so soon.

34
00:01:25,355 --> 00:01:26,975
I mean,
I just became a teenager,

35
00:01:26,975 --> 00:01:28,582
and like most teenage boys,

36
00:01:28,582 --> 00:01:30,362
I spend most of my time wondering:

37
00:01:30,365 --> 00:01:33,671
"How did my room get so messy
all on its own?" (Laughter)

38
00:01:33,902 --> 00:01:35,880
Did I take a shower today?
(Laughter)

39
00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,818
And the most perplexing of all,

40
00:01:37,818 --> 00:01:40,740
How do I get girls to like me?
(Laughter)

41
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,300
Neuroscientists say that
the teenage brain is pretty weird.

42
00:01:44,300 --> 00:01:46,717
Our prefrontal cortex is underdeveloped,

43
00:01:46,717 --> 00:01:48,901
but we actually have
more neurons than adults.

44
00:01:48,901 --> 00:01:52,179
Which is why we can be so creative,
and impulsive, and moody,

45
00:01:52,179 --> 00:01:54,080
and get bummed out.

46
00:01:55,110 --> 00:01:57,130
But what bums me out
is to know that

47
00:01:57,130 --> 00:02:01,303
a lot of kids today are
just wishing to be happy,

48
00:02:01,303 --> 00:02:03,543
to be healthy, to be safe, not bullied,

49
00:02:03,543 --> 00:02:05,593
and be loved for who they are.

50
00:02:05,759 --> 00:02:08,076
So it seems to me when adults say,

51
00:02:08,391 --> 00:02:10,372
"What do you want to be
when you grow up?"

52
00:02:10,372 --> 00:02:14,111
They just assume that you'll 
automatically be happy and healthy.

53
00:02:14,111 --> 00:02:16,207
But maybe that's not the case.

54
00:02:16,207 --> 00:02:18,243
Go to school. Go to college. Get a job.

55
00:02:18,243 --> 00:02:20,076
Get married. Boom!


56
00:02:20,138 --> 00:02:22,198
Then you'll be happy, right?

57
00:02:22,937 --> 00:02:25,565
We don't seem to make learning
how to be happy and healthy

58
00:02:25,565 --> 00:02:26,877
a priority in our schools.

59
00:02:26,892 --> 00:02:28,620
It's separated from schools,

60
00:02:28,620 --> 00:02:31,474
and for some kids,
it doesn't exist at all.

61
00:02:31,903 --> 00:02:33,647
But what if we didn't make it separate?

62
00:02:33,647 --> 00:02:35,611
What if we based education on the study

63
00:02:35,611 --> 00:02:37,961
and practice of being happy and healthy?

64
00:02:37,961 --> 00:02:40,597
Because that's what it is, a practice.

65
00:02:40,615 --> 00:02:42,722
And a simple practice like that.

66
00:02:43,340 --> 00:02:45,047
Education is important,

67
00:02:45,047 --> 00:02:46,733
but why is being happy and healthy

68
00:02:46,733 --> 00:02:48,393
not considered education?

69
00:02:48,393 --> 00:02:50,231
I just don't get it.

70
00:02:51,693 --> 00:02:54,494
I've been studying the science
of being happy and healthy.

71
00:02:54,494 --> 00:02:57,109
It really comes down to practicing
these 8 things:

72
00:02:57,617 --> 00:02:59,645
Exercise, diet and nutrition,

73
00:02:59,645 --> 00:03:02,258
time in nature, contribution
and service to others,

74
00:03:02,258 --> 00:03:04,603
relationships, recreation,

75
00:03:04,603 --> 00:03:07,078
relaxation and stress management,

76
00:03:07,078 --> 00:03:09,087
and religious or spiritual involvement.

77
00:03:09,087 --> 00:03:11,592
Yes, I got that one.
(Laugther)

78
00:03:11,984 --> 00:03:15,137
So these 8 things come
from Dr. Roger Walsh.

79
00:03:15,137 --> 00:03:17,661
He calls them
"Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes"

80
00:03:17,661 --> 00:03:19,581
or TLCs for short,

81
00:03:19,581 --> 00:03:22,709
He's a scientist that studies
how to be happy and healthy.

82
00:03:22,709 --> 00:03:24,089
In researching this talk,

83
00:03:24,089 --> 00:03:26,191
I got a chance to ask him
a few questions like:

84
00:03:26,191 --> 00:03:30,869
"Do you think that our schools today
are making these 8 TLCs a priority?"

85
00:03:30,869 --> 00:03:32,770
His response was no surprise.

86
00:03:32,770 --> 00:03:34,455
It was essentially "No".

87
00:03:34,455 --> 00:03:35,890
But he did say

88
00:03:35,890 --> 00:03:38,490
that many people do try
to get this kind of education

89
00:03:38,490 --> 00:03:40,580
outside of the traditional arena

90
00:03:40,580 --> 00:03:43,332
through reading or practices
such as meditation or yoga.

91
00:03:44,362 --> 00:03:46,457
But what I thought was his best response

92
00:03:46,457 --> 00:03:48,794
was that much of education is oriented,

93
00:03:48,794 --> 00:03:50,204
for better or worse,

94
00:03:50,204 --> 00:03:53,263
towards making a living
rather than making a life.

95
00:03:55,525 --> 00:03:57,812
In 2006, Sir Ken Robinson gave

96
00:03:57,888 --> 00:04:00,129
the most popular TED talk of all time,

97
00:04:00,437 --> 00:04:02,387
"Schools Kill Creativity."

98
00:04:02,387 --> 00:04:06,242
His message is that creativity is
as important as literacy,

99
00:04:06,242 --> 00:04:08,676
and we should treat it
with the same status.

100
00:04:09,014 --> 00:04:11,124
A lot of parents watched those videos,

101
00:04:11,124 --> 00:04:13,666
some of those parents like mine
counted it as one of the reasons

102
00:04:13,673 --> 00:04:16,868
they felt confident to pull their kids
from traditional school,

103
00:04:16,868 --> 00:04:18,665
to try something different.

104
00:04:19,187 --> 00:04:22,359
I realize that I am part of this small
but growing revolution of kids

105
00:04:22,359 --> 00:04:24,623
who are going about
their education differently.

106
00:04:24,623 --> 00:04:27,450
And you know what?
It freaks a lot of people out.

107
00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:30,070
Even though I was only 9

108
00:04:30,070 --> 00:04:32,422
when my parents pulled me out
of the school system,

109
00:04:32,422 --> 00:04:34,404
I can still remember my mom 
being in tears

110
00:04:34,404 --> 00:04:37,984
when some of her friends told her
she was crazy, and it was a stupid idea.

111
00:04:37,984 --> 00:04:41,258
Looking back, I'm thankful
she didn't cave to peer pressure,

112
00:04:41,259 --> 00:04:42,918
and I think she is too.

113
00:04:43,765 --> 00:04:47,641
So out of the 200 million people

114
00:04:48,071 --> 00:04:50,783
that have watched Sir Ken Robinson's talk,

115
00:04:50,783 --> 00:04:53,468
why aren't there more kids
like me out there?

116
00:04:55,274 --> 00:04:57,396
Shane McConkey is my hero.

117
00:04:57,396 --> 00:04:59,929
I loved him because
he was the world's best skier.

118
00:04:59,929 --> 00:05:03,112
But then one day I realized
what I really loved about Shane.

119
00:05:03,112 --> 00:05:04,493
He was a hacker.

120
00:05:04,501 --> 00:05:06,120
Not a computer hacker,

121
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,930
he hacked skiing.

122
00:05:07,930 --> 00:05:11,214
His creativity and inventions made
skiing what it is today,

123
00:05:11,214 --> 00:05:13,197
and why I love to ski.

124
00:05:14,292 --> 00:05:17,293
A lot of people think of hackers
as geeky computer nerds

125
00:05:17,293 --> 00:05:20,316
who live in their parent's basement,
and spread computer viruses.

126
00:05:20,334 --> 00:05:22,725
But, I don't see it that way.

127
00:05:22,725 --> 00:05:24,641
Hackers are innovators.

128
00:05:24,641 --> 00:05:27,390
Hackers are people who challenge
and change the systems

129
00:05:27,390 --> 00:05:30,375
to make them work differently,
to make them work better.

130
00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,045
It's just how they think,
it's a mindset.

131
00:05:33,937 --> 00:05:35,187
I'm growing up in a world

132
00:05:35,187 --> 00:05:37,531
that needs more people
with the hacker mindset,

133
00:05:37,531 --> 00:05:39,493
and not just for technology.

134
00:05:39,554 --> 00:05:42,273
Everything is up for being hacked,
even skiing,

135
00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:44,617
even education.

136
00:05:45,248 --> 00:05:47,201
So whether it's Steve Jobs,

137
00:05:47,201 --> 00:05:49,388
Mark Zuckerberg or Shane McConkey,

138
00:05:49,388 --> 00:05:52,303
having the hacker mindset
can change the world.

139
00:05:54,022 --> 00:05:56,576
Healthy, happy, creativity,

140
00:05:56,576 --> 00:05:59,838
and the hacker mindset are
all a large part of my education.

141
00:05:59,838 --> 00:06:01,665
I call it "Hack-Schooling".

142
00:06:01,665 --> 00:06:03,955
I don't use any one
particular curriculum,

143
00:06:03,955 --> 00:06:06,815
and I'm not dedicated to
anyone's particular approach.

144
00:06:06,815 --> 00:06:09,091
I hack my education.

145
00:06:09,091 --> 00:06:11,847
I take advantage of opportunities
in my community,

146
00:06:11,847 --> 00:06:14,341
and through a network
of my friends and family.

147
00:06:14,341 --> 00:06:17,652
I take advantage of opportunities
to experience what I'm learning.

148
00:06:17,652 --> 00:06:19,684
And I'm not afraid to look for shortcuts

149
00:06:19,684 --> 00:06:23,004
or hacks to get a better,
faster result.

150
00:06:23,906 --> 00:06:27,324
It's like a remix
or a mashup of learning.

151
00:06:27,324 --> 00:06:29,537
It's flexible, opportunistic,

152
00:06:29,537 --> 00:06:31,642
and it never loses sight of making happy,

153
00:06:31,642 --> 00:06:34,396
healthy and creativity a priority.

154
00:06:34,768 --> 00:06:37,864
And here's the cool part
because it's a mindset

155
00:06:37,864 --> 00:06:39,283
not a system.

156
00:06:39,283 --> 00:06:43,074
Hack-schooling can be used by anyone
even traditional schools,

157
00:06:45,014 --> 00:06:47,864
So, what does my school look like?

158
00:06:47,864 --> 00:06:50,131
Well it looks like Starbucks
a lot of the time. (Laughter)

159
00:06:50,131 --> 00:06:52,598
But, like most kids,

160
00:06:52,598 --> 00:06:56,172
I study a lot of math, science,
history, and writing.

161
00:06:56,910 --> 00:06:58,624
I didn't used to like to write

162
00:06:58,624 --> 00:07:01,808
because my teachers made me
write about butterflies and rainbows.

163
00:07:01,816 --> 00:07:04,029
And I wanted to write about skiing.

164
00:07:04,029 --> 00:07:06,222
It was a relief when my good friend's mom

165
00:07:06,222 --> 00:07:08,455
started The Squaw Valley Kids Institute

166
00:07:08,455 --> 00:07:12,058
Where I got to write through
my experiences and my interests

167
00:07:12,258 --> 00:07:15,470
while connecting with great speakers
from around the nation

168
00:07:15,470 --> 00:07:17,640
and that sparked my love of writing.

169
00:07:18,688 --> 00:07:20,118
I realize that

170
00:07:20,118 --> 00:07:23,024
once you're motivated to learn something,

171
00:07:23,039 --> 00:07:25,640
you can get a lot done
in a short amount of time

172
00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,162
and on your own.

173
00:07:27,162 --> 00:07:29,177
Starbucks is pretty great for that.

174
00:07:30,150 --> 00:07:32,693
Hacking physics was fun.

175
00:07:32,693 --> 00:07:35,002
We learned all about
Newton and Galileo,

176
00:07:35,002 --> 00:07:38,374
and we experienced some
basic physics concepts like

177
00:07:38,374 --> 00:07:41,884
kinetic energy though experimenting
and making mistakes.

178
00:07:41,884 --> 00:07:45,883
My favorite was the giant Newton's cradle
that we made out of bocci balls.

179
00:07:47,906 --> 00:07:50,982
We experimented with a lot of other
things like bowling balls

180
00:07:50,982 --> 00:07:53,928
and even giant jawbreakers.

181
00:07:54,328 --> 00:07:57,383
Project Discovery's Ropes Course
is awesome

182
00:07:57,383 --> 00:07:59,445
and slightly stressful.

183
00:07:59,445 --> 00:08:01,878
When you're 60 feet off the ground,

184
00:08:01,878 --> 00:08:03,935
you have to learn
how to handle your fears,

185
00:08:03,935 --> 00:08:07,020
communicate clearly and
most importantly, trust each other.

186
00:08:08,272 --> 00:08:11,725
Community organizations play
a big part in my education.

187
00:08:11,725 --> 00:08:14,041
A High Fives Foundations
B.A.S.I.C.S. Program:

188
00:08:14,041 --> 00:08:17,124
"Being Aware and Safe
in Critical Situations"

189
00:08:18,016 --> 00:08:20,214
We spent a day with the
Squaw Valley ski patrol

190
00:08:20,214 --> 00:08:21,825
to learn more about mountain safety.

191
00:08:21,826 --> 00:08:24,231
The next day we switched
to the science of snow,

192
00:08:24,231 --> 00:08:26,074
weather, and avalanches.

193
00:08:26,074 --> 00:08:27,482
But most importantly,

194
00:08:27,482 --> 00:08:29,966
we learned that making
bad decision puts you

195
00:08:29,966 --> 00:08:31,679
and your friends at risk.

196
00:08:33,207 --> 00:08:35,489
Young Chautauqua brings history to life.

197
00:08:35,489 --> 00:08:37,916
You study a famous character in history,

198
00:08:37,916 --> 00:08:40,874
so you can stand on stage
and perform as that character.

199
00:08:40,874 --> 00:08:43,616
and answer any question
about their lifetime.

200
00:08:44,304 --> 00:08:45,352
In this photo,

201
00:08:45,352 --> 00:08:47,600
you see Al Capone and Bob Marley

202
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,250
getting grilled with questions

203
00:08:49,250 --> 00:08:52,421
at the historical Piper's Opera
House in Virginia City.

204
00:08:52,421 --> 00:08:55,532
The same stage where
Harry Houdini got his start.

205
00:08:57,025 --> 00:08:59,978
Time in nature is really
important to me.

206
00:08:59,978 --> 00:09:03,941
It's calm, quiet, and
I get to just log out of reality.

207
00:09:04,311 --> 00:09:07,738
I spend one day a week outside all day.

208
00:09:07,738 --> 00:09:09,707
At my Foxwalker classes,

209
00:09:09,707 --> 00:09:12,863
our goal is to be able to survive
in the wilderness with just a knife.

210
00:09:12,863 --> 00:09:16,324
We learn to listen to nature,
we learn to sense our surroundings,

211
00:09:16,324 --> 00:09:19,023
and I've gained
a spiritual connection to nature

212
00:09:19,023 --> 00:09:21,008
that I never knew existed.

213
00:09:21,546 --> 00:09:23,875
But the best part is
that we get to make spears,

214
00:09:23,875 --> 00:09:26,480
bows and arrows,
fires with just a bow drill,

215
00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,768
and survival shelters for the
snowy nights when we camp out.

216
00:09:31,681 --> 00:09:33,711
Hanging out at The Moment Factory

217
00:09:33,711 --> 00:09:35,869
where they hand make skis
and design clothes,

218
00:09:35,869 --> 00:09:38,779
has really inspired me to
one day have my own business.

219
00:09:38,779 --> 00:09:42,073
the guys at the factory have showed me
why I need to be good at math,

220
00:09:42,073 --> 00:09:45,200
be creative and get good at sewing.

221
00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,546
So I got an internship
at Bigtruck Brand

222
00:09:48,546 --> 00:09:50,830
to get better at design and sewing.

223
00:09:50,830 --> 00:09:53,168
Between fetching lunch,
scrubbing toilets,

224
00:09:53,168 --> 00:09:54,907
and breaking their vacuum cleaner,

225
00:09:54,907 --> 00:09:56,951
I'm getting to contribute
to clothing design,

226
00:09:56,951 --> 00:09:59,644
customizing hats, and selling them.

227
00:09:59,644 --> 00:10:02,668
The people who work there are
happy, healthy, creative

228
00:10:02,668 --> 00:10:04,493
and stoked to be doing
what they're doing.

229
00:10:04,493 --> 00:10:07,057
This is by far,
my favorite class.

230
00:10:08,273 --> 00:10:10,834
So, this is where I'm really happy,

231
00:10:10,834 --> 00:10:12,456
powder days.

232
00:10:12,456 --> 00:10:14,921
And it's a good metaphor for my life,

233
00:10:14,921 --> 00:10:16,010
my education,

234
00:10:16,010 --> 00:10:17,839
my Hack-schooling.

235
00:10:17,839 --> 00:10:19,435
If everyone skied this mountain

236
00:10:19,435 --> 00:10:21,501
like most people think of education,

237
00:10:21,501 --> 00:10:23,618
everyone would be skiing the same line,

238
00:10:23,618 --> 00:10:24,971
probably the safest,

239
00:10:24,971 --> 00:10:27,500
and most of the "powder"
would go untouched.

240
00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:30,426
I look at this and see
a thousand possibilites.

241
00:10:30,780 --> 00:10:32,919
Dropping the cornice,
shredding the spine,

242
00:10:32,919 --> 00:10:35,257
looking for a [unclear]
from cliff to cliff.

243
00:10:35,491 --> 00:10:38,422
Skiing to me is freedom,
and so it's my education.

244
00:10:39,113 --> 00:10:42,021
It's about being creative,
doing things differently.

245
00:10:42,021 --> 00:10:44,473
it's about community,
and helping each other,

246
00:10:44,473 --> 00:10:46,880
it's about being happy and healthy

247
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:48,786
among my very best friends.

248
00:10:49,894 --> 00:10:51,785
So I'm starting to think I know

249
00:10:51,785 --> 00:10:53,814
what I might want to do
when I grow up.

250
00:10:53,814 --> 00:10:56,388
But if you ask me
what do I want to be when I grow up,

251
00:10:56,388 --> 00:10:59,262
I'll always know that
I want to be happy.

252
00:10:59,262 --> 00:11:02,088
Thank you.
(Applause)