Welcome back, we hope you all had a wonderful summer!
We would like to start by thanking you for your support in the 2023/24 school year.
You may have already heard the fantastic news – Scotland won the 2024 World Schools Debating Championship in Belgrade over the Summer! Huge congratulations to Lena from Broxburn Academy, Miya from Portobello High School, Logan from Dollar Academy, and Sophie and Callum from St Columba’s School. Along with the pupils themselves, there were many people who played a part in their amazing achievement, teachers, volunteers, and the coaches. Naturally, we would like to mention our Programmes Director, Jordan Pfotenhauer, who was one of three coaches along with Maxine and Jamie. Many of you will have met Jordan over the years at our workshops and competitions. We would like to acknowledge how fortunate we are to have Jordan on board, bringing his wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm with all things debating.
We are delighted to be continuing our programme of Speak Up Scotland workshops. Please contact Amanda at events@youngspeakersscotland.org.uk if you would like us to visit your school. We’d be happy to discuss what dates and times we have available. We’re pleased to still be able to offer these workshops entirely free of charge to state schools across Scotland. Jordan Pfotenhauer runs our workshops. During the sessions, he covers the structure of debating and the key elements, but in a fun and engaging way.
Information for this year’s Schools’ Mace can be found on our website here.
Information for this year’s Public Speaking Competition can be found on our website here.
Entry for our St. Andrew’s Debate is full. Please contact Amanda at events@youngspeakersscotland.org.uk to be added to the waiting list. Information for this year’s St Andrew’s Debate can be found on our website here.
Applications are now open for the Scottish National Debating Team. They are currently looking for bright, articulate pupils who might be interested in trialing for the Scottish National Debating Team and Training Squads. The National Team will represent Scotland at the World Schools Debating Championships in the Summer of 2025. All pupils in S1-S6 (or equivalent) who attend a school in Scotland are eligible to apply. They plan to select a large trials pool, so please encourage everyone interested to send in an application. Applications are due by 20:00 Monday 9th September. Please contact scottishdebatingteam@gmail.com with any questions.
We are very much looking forward to seeing you all in the 2024/2025 school year!