Mark your calendar for November 19, 2017, when speakers, entrepreneurs, and inventors take center stage at Repair the World in Pittsburgh to share their ideas and spark conversation.

There’s a twist—it will be kids who are mostly running the show.

Going with the theme Create Your World, this independently organized TEDx Youth Blue Slide Park event is the brainchild of 13-year-old Nadav Gilboa of Squirrel Hill. It’s the area’s first kid-organized, kid-focused, kid-run event with kid, teen and adult speakers.

The idea came about when Gilboa was discussing feminism with his peers. He, like other youths his age, wanted to discuss big ideas like sexism, racism, poverty and climate change. But he also noticed adults weren’t taking kids seriously on such complicated topics.

Inspired by TED talks, which give adults their own forum to discuss issues, Gilboa set about organizing a youth event, “to let kids with great ideas share them with people who want to hear what they have to say.” He added,

“I want the world to understand that kids have good ideas that can also revolutionize the world for the better.”

He said this event is perfect for Pittsburgh because of its diverse community that is highly invested in the arts and learning.

Awesome Pittsburgh chose TEDx Youth Blue Slide Park as the grant recipient, noting the importance of sparking an interest in children to participate in their community at an early age. Awesome Trustee Lulu Orr:

“Kids who feel they have a voice will feel empowered to craft a better future for themselves.”

Gilboa hopes adults see the contributions kids can make to that future starting right now.  He plans to use the grant funds to help defray costs for the event. Visit the website for more details.