The energy of advocacy: Rewriting the future of education | Yazmine Verdieu | TEDxInglewood
Why should a child have to leave their neighborhood to get a quality education?In this powerful and data-driven talk, Yazmine Verdieu, educator and founder of Verdieu Learning Center, exposes the persistent inequities in America’s education system—and how they continue to impact communities like Inglewood. Drawing from her own childhood experience of commuting to schools outside her neighborhood, Yazmine breaks down how funding models, policy gaps, and systemic inequities have turned access to education into a matter of zip code.But she also reveals something more powerful: the energy of advocacy. Through real stories of parents, teachers, and communities who organized, spoke up, and won change from local victories to statewide reform Yazmine shows that advocacy isn’t reserved for politicians. It’s built by everyday people choosing to turn frustration into fuel.Watch this talk to discover how your voice and your energy can help rewrite the future of education for every child. Yazmine Verdieu is an educational advocate, entrepreneur, and researcher dedicated to creating equitable learning opportunities for underserved communities. Born and raised in Venice and West Los Angeles, Yazmine moved to Inglewood at ten years old. It was through running her tutoring business since 2020, Verdieu Learning Center, that she witnessed firsthand the educational disparities that disproportionately affect students in schools across Los Angeles. This experience fueled her passion for advocacy and her continuous commitment to representing educational quality through her services.
Through her research, Yazmine explores how systemic inequities in education impact students' access to resources, opportunities, and long-term success. She believes that education is more than just a system—it is a gateway to empowerment, and every student, regardless of their background, deserves a fair and just opportunity to thrive.
Beyond her work in education, Yazmine is committed to fostering change through policy reform and community engagement. Her dedication to advocacy has placed her in rooms where change is made, from collaborating with local educators to addressing decision-makers on the importance of equitable curriculum design. She has recently earned her master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University and plans to continue her studies, with a strong focus on educational law and its role in shaping more just and equitable policies.
As a TEDxInglewood 2025 speaker, Yazmine aims to ignite conversations about the power of intentional energy in education—how advocacy, passion, and persistence can transform learning environments for students in communities like Inglewood. She believes that by challenging outdated policies and investing in educational equity, we can create a future where every child has the tools and support they need to succeed. She also emphasizes the power of awareness—recognizing the stark differences between schools in high-income versus low-income neighborhoods, from funding and resources to teacher salaries, can serve as a catalyst for motivation and systemic change. By shedding light on these disparities, communities can push for policy reform, demand accountability, and advocate for an education system that uplifts all students, regardless of their zip code.
Yazmine’s journey is a testament to the impact of education, resilience, and the power of using one’s voice to drive meaningful change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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