Shaun Nanan, the co-founder and academic director of Nanan STEM Academy in Moose Jaw, recently announced he will be speaking at the first TEDxRegina event since 2015. 

Nanan is a computer engineer who has had a long career as an educator at Sask Polytech. He was the Program Head of the Computer Engineering Technology department from 2017 to 2023 and currently serves as a department academic chair. 

He co-founded Nanan STEM Academy in Moose Jaw to give students an accelerated, future-proofed path through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in today’s technology-heavy world. Students at the academy learn 3D printing, coding, team communication skills, robotics, problem-solving with technology, and much more. 

Learn more about the Nanan STEM Academy at nananacademy.com. 

“This is the first time that TEDxRegina has been available for many years, the last event was 2015,” Nanan explained. “So, yeah, they put together a really great team to bring this back and to put together a really good group of speakers. There are a total of six of us, including myself. 

“The overall theme is ‘Beyond Our Borders’, and my specific topic is education and non-traditional approaches to engaging students. And my talk is titled, ‘Unleashing the Potential: A Paradigm Shift in Education.’” 

Nanan said he’s wanted to speak at a TEDx event for years and applied online after a conversation with TEDxRegina’s new director, Moses Anjorin. Each speaker gets a maximum time to speak of about 18 minutes — Nanan is busily preparing and "can't wait." 

His fellow speakers include Adam Hicks, Director of Finance and Strategic Operations at the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation; Sophia Young, a social activist and humanitarian; and Anastasios Stamatinos, a Grade 9 and 10 teacher in Saskatoon. 

TEDx is a grassroots, independently organized initiative based on the overall TED theme of ‘ideas worth spreading’. Local leaders are granted a free license from TED in return for following the TED format and abiding by TED’s guidelines for curation, speakers, and performers. More than 3,000 TEDx events are held annually to showcase local ideas and spark innovative conversations. 

TEDxRegina 2024 will be held Saturday, Mar. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Queensbury Convention Centre. 

Tickets range from $35 to $70 and can be purchased from tedxregina.ca.  

“I don’t know the full agenda at the moment, but what I do know is there will six speakers and there will be some entertaining performances, as well,” Nanan said. “And I did hear that they’re almost sold out of tickets already, so it’s going to be a popular event.”