A month before Visit Philadelphia and TED staged their flagship event on the future of democracy for America’s 250th birthday, someone noticed that the day-long program didn’t have an intergenerational session to engage teens in the conversation. 

Once that gap was flagged, organizers moved fast. History Co:Lab and Made By Us were brought in on short notice to design and run a youth-led session inside the event, using the same co-design model that had just shaped teen-led "Something in Common" gatherings crafted in partnership with the Henry A. Luce Foundation in Dallas and Pittsburgh earlier this spring. The rule was that young people, not adults, would design the session themselves.

The result was "Co-Authoring Democracy: Then, Now, Tomorrow," a Discovery Session co-led by a group of 8 teens, facilitated by Fernande Raine, founder of History Co:Lab, and Caroline Klibanoff, executive director of Made By Us. It was the morning session kicking off the celebratory edition of TED Democracy held June 13 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. More than 1,400 guests came through the Kimmel Center that day for a main stage lineup of TED talks in Marian Anderson Hall on everything from media literacy to AI's intersection with democracy.

On the rooftop in the festive penthouse of Hamilton Garden, the format didn't celebrate individual ideas, but the voices of young people  in conversation with adults. Eight teenagers from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, the Seaport Museum, and at least one walk-on recruited straight off the street had co-designed a Discovery Session that put them in charge of small tables of adults two and three times their age. Each table was anchored by a historic artifact that each teen had chosen, ranging from the 19th Amendment and the fight for suffrage, and a poster on toxic masculinity and political extremism, to an image from the George Floyd protests, to the Constitution itself. The session sold out days in advance, with a waitlist of adults still hoping for a seat. More than 75 adults ultimately found their way to a table, with over 30 standing in the back. 

The students did not shy away from bringing controversial issues to the table.  One student picked the portrait of a crying man beneath a banner reading "heal," using it to open a hard conversation about historic memory and trauma. "I wasn't sure how that was going to go over with people," she said afterward. "But I really appreciated that they kept an open mind and were willing to contribute their perspectives... I was super grateful to have that additional generational perspective."

Across all tables, the adults all leaned in with curiosity–much to the teens’ surprise.   "I felt kind of equal to be able to share similar political opinions with people who are like five times my age," one teen said. Another admitted she'd braced for the opposite: "I thought I would feel more judged than I ended up feeling, because some adults might not think a teenager's opinion is really valuable. So I thought people would judge me more than what it did." A third, who said she's usually brushed off when she raises hard topics, found something different this time: "The people at my table were receptive to what I was saying to them, and they gave me feedback... it was like talking to a friend."

For the teens who helped design the day, the point was not to perform for adults, but to build a space for honesty and connection. They had shared ideas in advance that served as illustrations of their intent as quote cards that rotated on screens around the room. 

What democracy looks like with teens at the table

The session closed with a panel, where each teen answered the question: what would look different about America if their generation had more of a say?

"America would definitely be more open to improving access for youth to be in leadership," one panelist said. "There's nobody around really creating space for us to have a seat at the table." A 17-year-old from a high school in Delaware County tied the idea straight back to the morning's tables: "I think America would be more representative of all voices, not just a couple voices, not just a few corporations... this is exactly what this event is achieving: we're being able to have these discussions."

Another student shared, “I think if my generation had more of a say, our democracy would be more honest," she said. "Adults tend to be a little more protective and hidden about their beliefs because they don't want to cause any problems socially. But young people are a little bit bolder about what we think and are more comfortable with speaking up." "There's a lot of argument, but there's not a lot getting done. So I think if my generation had more of a say, we would focus on how can we make our country better."

In addition to helping over 100 people recognize the power of teens, the event had a powerful effect on the teens themselves, with feelings ranging from relief to excitement. "I feel kind of relieved," one said. "Not just relieved, but like we were able to get something out there that actually got people talking." Another described feeling something closer to belonging: "I feel connected with people... it really was able to develop a strong relationship with the people, and have a good conversation." A third said the openness of the room caught her off guard, in a good way: "It made me feel hopeful, and like being in a space like this where people were just very open, it feels different." By the end, the exhaustion had turned into elation. "I feel super exhilarated now that it's over," one student said, "and I've had the opportunity to connect with so many people from different backgrounds and different age groups... I'm super happy and thankful that you gave us the opportunity to be part of this."

A follow-up survey confirmed that all of the co-designers left feeling more heard, more connected to what democracy is supposed to be, and more capable of helping change it. One described the shift she experienced as taking her from "hopeless" to "hopeful." A single morning of being trusted with a real table, a real artifact, and a room full of adults willing to listen had measurably changed how these teens saw their own voice and their own capacity to lead.

“This is the kind of thing that should be happening in every public space, all the time. We have been hearing this all over America.”

Caroline Klibanoff, Director of Made By Us

That's the bet underneath all of it, in Philadelphia as much as in Dallas and Pittsburgh before it: that renewing the civic square isn't about giving young people a louder microphone someday, but about adults sitting down at the table now, treating a teenager's opinion as seriously as anyone else's, and letting the conversation go somewhere neither of them expected. Judging by what these teens said walking out, that bet is already paying off.