This Former Teacher Launches Confetti at the End of his TED Talk. The Reason He Did It Will Make You Melt
Two weeks before stepping onto the stage at TEDx Colorado Springs, former teacher Davide Di Giorgio realized there was one thing he needed to do in his talk that would drive his message home.
“The idea came to me while bouncing on my trampoline.”
More importantly, he wanted to send a message to the thousands of students he had worked with over his lifetime.
You see, George, as his students would respectfully call him, had been launching confetti at school events for years. It had become a tradition at concerts, pep rallies, flash mobs, beginning of the year assemblies, end-of-year assemblies.
”It happened a lot,” one former student reminisced, “and we would all be excited to be chosen to help launch!”
Why did he do it?
Besides the fact that it was fun to do and it was something he brought over from his experience as a theater producer, Di Giorgio was researching and studying the effects of celebration on achievement and wellness.
“I had an idea one day. I started to wonder what would happen if I celebrated my students more.”
Confetti launches were only one way to celebrate.
Di Giorgio would host birthday parties where he’d bake and decorate cakes and get his students to pose for birthday photos.
He took students on trips, from Cuba to Disney.
He’d even dress up and perform.
And through all of it, what Di Giorgio discovered was that achievement and overall wellness increased as celebration increased.
“George would tell us, ‘know you are amazing and extraordinary’, and that alone gave me tons of confidence. Now I say that when I'm taking a test or at home exercising.”
“I’ll never forget that day in Kansas in 2015 where he made us all hug each other after a quick, sweaty yoga warmup,” said one of his former drum corps students.
Another student shared, “The shift in attitude is amazing when you consider how your words and actions not only influence others, but create the environment you live in,” while another remarked, “I have so many new tools to use that I had never thought of before.”
“To this day, I still use many of the tools Davide taught and exuded in his own life.”
“When I started to see the kids celebrating more and comparing their grades less, comparing themselves to others less, and focusing on all of their amazing, positive qualities, I knew I had discovered something that had to be shared far and wide!”
In 2018, when Di Giorgio launched his book Being UNapologetic, even though he’d already left the classroom years before, he knew he wanted to give back and surprise some unsuspecting teens with his unique brand of celebration. A portion of the proceeds from every book sold went towards what he called Project UNx.
So, when he presented his research and idea worth spreading at TEDx Colorado Springs in the Fall of 2019, he knew that adding his signature act of celebration was a must.
“It’s not only become a tradition, it’s something I love doing because it brings the message to compare less, celebrate more to life in a very engaging, interactive, and memorable way.”
We asked Di Giorgio what the message behind the confetti is?
“In the TED talk, I knew that all my former students would get a kick out of it. The truth is, it was my nod to all of them and my way to say, ‘I celebrate you!’”
We think he got the message across, do you?
The magical moment even got featured on the TEDx official Instagram page!
Di Giorgio now includes his celebratory grand finale for all of the talks he gives to youth and student audiences.
Watch the full talk and let us know in the comments what you think. How do you like to celebrate?
Davide Di Giorgio is the number one international best-selling author of Being UNapologetic, a keynote and TEDx speaker, youth advocate, Comparanoia™ expert, and a speaking and confidence consultant for students, teachers, parents, influencers and celebrities.
His philanthropic endeavor, Project Being UNapologetic dares to tackle bullying and build confidence and self-esteem while funding dream projects for high school performing arts students.
He is currently on a Global Wellness Celebration Tour spreading a message to Compare Less, Celebrate More!
To book Davide Di Giorgio for speaking, interviews, appearances, or consulting, contact him HERE