UNews - Imogen Pohl

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge looking for presenters for TEDx speaker event

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 21:13:46 +0000

The call is out for people interested in becoming a TEDx presenter at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in January 2020.

The U of L will present its first TEDx event on January 25, 2020. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is now looking for candidates to apply to be a speaker or performer addressing the theme of I Am Still Learning. Learning is a lifelong journey of discovery and the U of L is inviting anyone to submit a talk idea consistent with this theme.

“This is our first opportunity to present a TEDx event and we’re thrilled to begin planning for what promises to be an amazing day,” says Kathleen Massey, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s associate vice-president (students). “We will be looking to present a diverse group of speakers who can really stretch the envelope on our theme and spark some great conversations. The U of L has long been a driver of ideas and lifelong learning in southern Alberta and TEDx is another way to engage discussion in our community.”

Those interested in applying to present at TEDxUleth must submit an application form (available here) by Wednesday, Nov. 20. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by Nov. 25 that they are invited for auditions.

“Once we go through the audition process, which will run from Nov. 27 through Dec. 4, we will notify the selected speakers on Dec. 6,” says U of L student Imogen Pohl, one of the event organizers. “I’m really looking forward to this process and hearing the great ideas that will come out of it. We have so many smart, talented people here in southern Alberta, I think we’ll be blown away by the presenters.”

The independently produced event, operated under a license from TED, is organized by community volunteers and aimed at creating dialogue as well as giving people a forum to share their passions, ideas and experiences. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are currently available by contacting ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement Development Director Barry Knapp at 403-329-2389 or barry.knapp@uleth.ca.

Launched in 2009, TEDx is a program of locally organized events that bring the community together to share a TED-like experience. Some of the best talks from TEDx events have gone on to be featured on TED.com and garnered millions of views from audiences across the globe.

For more information, visit TEDxUleth or contact Tedx@uleth.ca.

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 in a small group. 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 organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California almost 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes on a diverse mix of topics. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; and TEDBooks, short e-books on powerful ideas. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help translating their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TED.

For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit www.ted.com/registration.

U of L student receives Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers

caroline.zentner — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 17:56:55 +0000

Imogen Pohl, who’s just finishing her second year as a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student, received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from Gov. Gen. Julie Payette (DSc ’05) at a ceremony at Rideau Hall during National Volunteer Week.

The medal recognizes the exceptional volunteer achievements of Canadians from across the country in a wide range of fields. Those eligible for the medal must demonstrate significant, sustained and unpaid contributions to their community.

Imogen Pohl, left, poses for a photo with Gov. Gen. Julie Payette after receiving the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers. Photo courtesy Sgt. Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2018

In Pohl’s case, she’s been volunteering since her preschool days. At age four, she joined Girl Guides and found an organization that gave her a safe place to explore all kinds of activities. At age nine, she became a girl assistant who worked with Sparks, for girls aged four and five. She continued to work with Sparks and, at age 18, became head guider for a group of Sparks.

In addition to Girl Guides, Pohl has worked on several international projects such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Stop the Violence and Girl Effect, which gave her the chance to travel to Switzerland, England and Mexico. Through Guides, she also volunteers in the community by selling poppies for the Lethbridge Legion and packing Christmas hampers with the Lethbridge Food Bank. As a U of L student, she volunteers as a member of the Kappa Beta Gamma sorority. Earlier this year, Pohl was awarded a 2017 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award.In May, Pohl will begin a position with the U of L Students’ Union as vice-president academic.

As someone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Pohl also works with the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta as a community education presenter. The youngest presenter in Alberta, she visits businesses and schools to talk about her experiences with the disorder, provide tips about what to do if someone is having a psychotic episode and reduce stigma in the community.

“Volunteering is an excellent way to tackle the question ‘what do want to be when you grow up?’” says Pohl. “Through volunteering, I have been exposed to various scenarios, such as first aid, crafting and event planning. It’s a great way to become aware of different career pathways and get the experience needed for introductory jobs.”

Pohl is one of 42 Canadians who received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in the Tuesday, April 17 ceremony.

Imogen Pohl stars as a volunteer

caroline.zentner — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:37:19 +0000

Volunteering seems to be in Imogen Pohl’s blood. At the age of four, she joined Girl Guides, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who, as a Girl Guide in England, had met Lady Baden-Powell, a key figure in the Girl Guide movement.

Now, as a second-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student, she’s still volunteering with the organization — and numerous others. Her passion for and commitment to volunteering has put her in very esteemed company as one of six Albertans to win a 2017 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award.

Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell, left, and Alberta's Minister of Culture and Tourism Ricardo Miranda, right, pose for a photo with Imogen Pohl at the awards ceremony. Photo courtesy of the Government of Alberta.

Pohl received the award on Dec. 5 in Edmonton at a ceremony where Lt.-Gov. Lois Mitchell and Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, handed out the awards.

“This award is for all of Alberta so I thought it would go to someone in Edmonton or Calgary who’s done something bigger,” says Pohl. “When I got the letter from the Honourable Ricardo Miranda, I was really excited. It was really neat meeting the Lt.-Gov.; she’s super cool.”

Pohl’s volunteering journey began in Grande Prairie, where she found Girl Guides gave her a safe place to explore all kinds of activities from camping to astrology.

“I did all of the levels and the badges and the top section awards,” she says. “When I was nine, I started being a ‘girl assistant’ and I worked with the Sparks (ages five and six). I continued working with Sparks and, when I was 18, I became a head guider for a group of Sparks.”

Pohl’s involvement in Girl Guides led to additional volunteer opportunities. She has worked on several international projects such as the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Stop the Violence and Girl Effect, which gave her the chance to travel to Switzerland, England and Mexico. Through Guides, she also volunteers in the community by selling poppies for the Lethbridge Legion and packing Christmas hampers with the Lethbridge Food Bank. As a U of L student, she volunteers as a member of the Kappa Beta Gamma sorority. Pohl says volunteering is a way for her to pay it forward.

“As a child, there were hundreds and hundreds of hours put into developing me as a person, so I volunteer as a way of starting to put in my hours so I can help develop the kids who are going to be the next volunteers,” she says. “It’s very valuable to me because I get to see the results.”

At the U of L, Pohl is pursuing an undergraduate degree with a double major in neuroscience and psychology. She hopes to become a clinical psychologist and has her eyes set on furthering her studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

“My family has been affected by schizophrenia. Lots of people study how the brain works but I don’t feel like there are enough people studying how the brain doesn’t work,” she says. “I feel that if we can understand how the brain isn’t working correctly then we can easily go back and say what should be going on.”

Six provincial Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards are presented annually in connection with International Volunteer Day, a global initiative established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985. Two awards in each category — youth, adult and senior — are presented.

UNews - Imogen Pohl

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge looking for presenters for TEDx speaker event

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