_{Ludovica, a student in the Global Responsibility and Leadership (GRL) programme, was inspired by Campus Fryslân’s focus on sustainability and wanted to share these ideas with a wider audience. After several attempts and by staying persistent, she was selected to speak at TEDxZavoi Park Youth in Romania. In her talk, Outside the Bubble: Key Learnings on Sustainable Development to Export on a Wider Scale, Ludovica shared lessons on scaling sustainable practices from small communities to global impact. Students like Ludovica embody the spirit of our community: driven, ambitious, and dedicated to making a difference.}

My name is Ludovica, I come from Italy, and I am currently a third-year student in the Global Responsibility and Leadership (GRL) programme at Campus Fryslân. With my passions in sustainable development, education, and governance, I choose to attend GRL as this bachelor allows me to explore these different subjects and keep an interdisciplinary outlook on global issues. While spending time on Campus, doing group projects, attending lectures, or simply discussing with professors and peers, I discovered several unique aspects of GRL and its sustainability-centred ethos. Having immersed myself in this community, I felt the need to share what I noticed to broader audiences. This is why I applied as a speaker to a TEDx event in Romania.

The journey towards becoming a TEDx speaker was complex. Last June, I started sending multiple applications to different TEDx teams, proposing my ideas for the talk and sharing my enthusiasm for joining their events. This process required a strong determination on my side, to keep reaching out to organizers despite initial rejections. I was beyond excited when I finally received an acceptance from the TEDxZavoi Park Youth organizers, from Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania. From then on, I started working on the script for my speech, as well as holding regular meetings with the organizing team, to brainstorm and refine my ideas.

Regarding my communication with Campus Fryslân, the first person I contacted to discuss the good news was my study advisor. Indeed, I wanted to ensure that the content of my speech aligned with the themes of the campus community. Based on the study advisors’ guidance, I also shared the script of the talk with the Campus Fryslân Communication Office for their review and approval, as the themes directly touched upon topics relevant to the university. Overall, the process was smooth and encouraging, and both my study advisor and the Communication Office showed great enthusiasm for the talk, appreciating its relevance and the potential impact it could have. 

After months of work, my TEDx talk, Outside the Bubble: Key Learnings on Sustainable Development to Export on a Wider Scale, transitioned to its final version. On stage, I shared insights from my academic and personal journey in sustainable development. More specifically, I discussed how often sustainability happens in "bubbles" of like-minded individuals and explored how it is possible to transform these good practices and ideas into actionable, scalable solutions for diverse communities worldwide. By focusing on the Campus Fryslân’s bubble, I discussed three key lessons learnt: 1) the need for bottom-up approaches to discuss climate change, 2) the role of activism in demanding a change in current production and pollution systems, and 3) the importance of implementing practical and emotional tools to understand sustainability beyond theory.

Having shared my insights on sustainability, the final section of my talk was designed to foster inspiration and reflection among the audience. As I explained, it is not true that sustainability is not happening today, and Campus Fryslân is an example of a small ‘bubble’ promoting sustainable behaviours. This vision begs the question of how to scale these good practices and bring them to a wide and daily application globally. With the hope of being a catalyst for a wide and transformative process, I provided three take home messages to my audience, showing them how Campus Fryslân’s sustainability-related lessons can be meaningful to them and inspire their personal, academic and professional lives. 

[...] It is not true that sustainability is not happening today, and Campus Fryslân is an example of a small ‘bubble’ promoting sustainable behaviours. This vision begs the question of how to scale these good practices and bring them to a wide and daily application globally.

Now that my TEDx experience has ended, I want to remark that this journey taught me the value of teamwork and collaboration. Delivering a TEDx talk was not something that I achieved individually, and it was made possible by the dedication of the TEDxZavoi Park Youth organizing team, my fellow speakers, and the enthusiasm coming from the audience. In a few words, this experience reinforced my belief in the power of collective effort to drive meaningful change, where people can gain inspiration, learn and share their insights. Looking ahead, I am more determined than ever to continue advocating for sustainability through education and public speaking and inspire others to build a more sustainable future, by sharing insights and fostering discussions.