June is National Safety Month. Each June, the National Safety Council (NSC) organizes this annual observance to educate the public and raise awareness in the leading causes of injuries and deaths. In honor of the NSC celebrating its 100th anniversary of safety awareness this year, I would like to showcase breakthroughs in safety improvement history via TED, in the order of topics the NSC is featuring each week of this month.

Week one is on Slips, Trips and Falls, with particular emphasis on falls from heights. Falling is one of the major causes of injuries and fatalities in our work places. Although he might not help you much in preventing injuries in the office, Steve Truglia has stories to share. As a stuntman, the number of times Truglia has fallen out of buildings is most likely more than I have cut my own fingers in the kitchen. See how technology has made stunts safer, and Truglia’s incredible planning for a breathtaking jump from 120,000 feet high.

The second week focuses on Employee Wellness, with an emphasis on the overdose of prescription painkillers. Deaths from overdose of prescription painkillers have skyrocketed in the past decade, but how severe is it exactly? Chris Jordan transformed a simple image of a pill by multiplying the imagery using the astonishing number of emergency room visits attributable to abuse and misuse of prescription painkillers, and anti-anxiety medications to an oversized wall image. Other imagery that raises awareness includes the destructive power of cigarettes, and various social issue images with high statistics in the United States.

The third week is Emergency Preparedness. As millions of people are displaced by natural disasters every single year, organizations are increasingly aware of the importance of emergency plans. I still remember when the HR department at my company handed me an emergency survival kit backpack during my new hire orientation, even before I had a chance to introduce myself to everyone in the room! Dedicated to solving the massive housing gap after devastating disasters, Michael McDaniel spent his own personal savings and free time to design and build a low-cost shelter that is easily transportable and post-disaster efficient.

The fourth week is on the issue of Ergonomics. The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as “the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.” In essence, it is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and its cognitive abilities. If you are suffering from back or neck pain while sitting at the desk reading this article, you might want to check out Niels Diffrient’s talk on important design elements of an ergonomic chair.

Every time I watch TED talks, I am fascinated by the arresting ideas, dedication and passion of  human beings. Have a safe summer with greater awareness from the NSC and I hope you enjoyed watching the great inventions and wisdom on safety in these TEDx stories.

Grace Liao is an analyst with background in Finance. She joined TEDxPeachtree as a volunteer since the 2012 conference. She respects TED speakers and wishes herself one day to have positive impact on society as well.

One year ago, as the rest of the world moved into lazy summer mode, we TEDxPeachtree volunteers began gearing up for our November 2012 event. Today, I take us back one year in time to see the topics that captivated audiences while we were working behind the scenes, preparing for what would become our most successful event to date.

When you’re Lynda Gratton of TEDxLondonBusinessSchool, you don’t get summers off! Gratton gave an impassioned TEDx Talk on How to Get Ready for the Future, Now. She began with a narrative of a trip she took to Africa with her then 12-year-old son, where a Maasai warrior in full regalia with spear in hand showed them his people’s territory and explained its traditions…then his cell phone went off. Gratton’s talk centers on being prepared during this modern and transformative era we live in.

Another talk with ideas worth spreading took place at TEDxGrandRapids in June 2012. Against a backdrop of different faiths offering conflicting views, Rev. Michael Dowd spoke on Why We Struggle Now, staking his position that “scientific, historic, and cross-cultural evidence [serves as] modern-day scripture.” He talked about the addictions modern man has to substances that weren’t even around hundreds of years ago, and contends once you understand how the brain works, the answers fall into place.

In addition to numerous TEDx videos posted last June, we can find a few from TED itself. One, in particular, caught my eye, Marco Tempest‘s story of Nikola Tesla. I’d heard Tesla’s name mentioned, knew he had something to do with electricity, but didn’t know his whole story. Tesla discovered the alternating current, and died penniless. Denied his rightful place in history books, Tempest uses an elaborate pop-up book to tell this genius’s story.

Summertime is a time to kick back, but not for TEDxPeachtree volunteers–because we’re getting ready for our next event! This means crafting blog posts, connecting with sponsors, evaluating speaker nominations and making sure the community is well informed about the event. Multiply the amount of effort by the number of TEDx events held annually, and you’ll get a feel for how this has become an international movement. Last month alone, 221 TEDx events took place globally. An article from Forbes last year gives some perspective as well. Impressive. And that was one year ago. We’ve grown since.

Forget a lazy summer. Take the time to view some videos. They’re addictive. They’re fun. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. Check out some TED videos. Or, let us whet your appetite with past TEDxPeachtree talks from 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009. Either way, save the date: TEDxPeachtree 2013 will be held on November 8 at the historic Buckhead Theater in Atlanta, and it’s not to be missed.

Wendy Kalman attended the 2009 TEDxPeachtree event and became hooked, volunteering each year ever since. By day, she works as a Proposal Manager, and by night, her alter ego as involved parent, engaged volunteer, music lover, and Facebook addict emerges.

The American dream. What does it mean to you? What is your American dream? I am living my American dream and continue to strive for the best of what America has to offer me, a new citizen. I came to America as a foreign student to pursue a college education. Before coming to America, there was curiosity of what this faraway land might be like. The only view I had was through popular American T.V. shows I watched growing up in Malaysia. The real America is not quite like the T.V. America, but I believe we make it how we want to view it. I discovered this land of opportunities, freedom, value and equality. I wanted to be a part of it and worked for it.

2011 TEDxPeachtree presenter and social media strategist Ekaterina Walter’s words about her journey from Russia to America truly resonated with me because she created her path in America by “breaking through the barriers” of life challenges, seeking the opportunities here that she may not have gotten in her birth country and proving to be a valuable citizen of this great country. She inspires us to take a look at ourselves and re-evaluate our lives because in America it is easy to be complacent and not realize we can be better.

I learned more about Ekaterina Walter via her blog Building Social Bridges. Besides being a social media maven and leading Intel in this arena for eight years, she also is an accomplished writer. Ekaterina Walter’s recently published Think Like Zuck – The Five Business Secrets of Facebook’s Improbably Brilliant CEO is on the Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller list. I will be adding it to my summer reading list. Recent exciting news is of Ekaterina Walter’s move from Intel to Branderati as reported by newsle. She is now Branderati’s CMO and partner, paving the way to the next level in social media marketing as we enter the “Age of Advocacy.” This is the term she uses to explain, on Branderati’s blog, how social media marketing is evolving into brand advocacy and influencer marketing.

Ekaterina Walter’s American dream is alive as she continues to make her mark in social media and inspire others, like me, along the way.

Pek Suan Yew-Wyland is a TED/TEDxPeachtree newbie and excited to be a part of the team!