TEDxSoleburySchool Speaker Ellie Herman '18

 

TEDxSoleburySchool Talk: Surviving Disaster in a Box
When natural disasters occur, women are 14% more likely to die than men. This statistic is evident in societies across the world who limit women and narrow their opportunities for success. When a society constructs how women should behave, it makes it difficult for them to reach beyond standards that don’t teach them how to climb trees or swim and leave them exposed to sexual or physical violence. In a world where many women still act as the primary caretakers of children and the elderly, women need to be incorporated into conversations about natural disaster preparation and decision-making. If women are not equipped with the correct safety procedures and tools to keep themselves and others safe, where do they turn when disaster strikes, how do they protect themselves, and what do they do?

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About Ellie
Ellie Herman is a senior at Solebury School and in her second year of the Teach2Serve social change program. For her Teach2Serve capstone project, Ellie held a collection drive at her school and applied for a grant to collect hygiene items that were packaged into kits and distributed globally by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Ellie also held a carwash fundraiser to raise money for the non-profit organization I Support the Girls, which distributes menstrual hygiene products to homeless women and women recovering from natural disasters can have access to menstrual hygiene products. Ellie is ordained as a youth elder at her Presbyterian church and has been a volunteer for various youth events and programs. Outside of school, Ellie runs her own engavings business, where she designs and develops products for companies and organizations on a national level. In the Fall of 2018, Ellie will attend Drexel University to study global studies and entrepreneurship.