Debating Skills
Democracy and Citizenship in Europe
Why student debate?
Vision
Regardless of origin, individual traits, or social context, all youth voices matter.
By helping young people value their voice, the voice of others, and meaningfully speak out, debate strengthens Democracy. By igniting young people to positively address current challenges and shape a better future for all, debate strengthens Citizenship.
Mission
To promote debate as an educational tool that enables the confidence to speak up, empathy, critical thinking, and creative thinking, thus empowering upper-secondary students and strengthening democracy and citizenship.
A project with three phases
1st - Partners
To identify partners in each country that may connect schools and teams at a national/ regional level.
2nd - Training
To support schools' and teachers' debating activities through a common rulebook, training, local events and a helpdesk.
3rd - European event
To promote a debate event in Brussels (2025), with one team of upper-secondary students per country selected by the national/ regional partner.
How to participate?
Project Partners - EFEE Members can become partners of the project, supporting the relation with schools, promoting a debate event, and selecting the national team for the European debate event.
Schools and teachers - The project partners will act as liaison between the project coordination and school and teachers. Schools and teachers will participate in online or face-to-face training on student debate. The project offers a tested rulebook and concrete resources to begin using debate in upper secondary education.
Students - Students will participate through their schools.
Calendar
2023, Jun. to Oct.
Presentation of the project and building of the network of partners
2023, Oct. to 2024, Dec.
Training and support to teachers and schools (online or face-to-face)
Local events
2025, Jan. to Feb.
Presentation of students’ teams by the national members
2025, Apr.
European student debate event in Brussels
European Debate Event
The third phase of this project is a European student debate event. One team from each country will participate. This will be an opportunity for students to engage with others using an age appropriate rulebook.
This event will take place in Brussels (April 2025), and support will be given for travel and lodging.
In April 2023, a similar European Student Debate Event occurred in Lisbon. Like in the present project, this international event followed one year of teacher training and local events. This short video testifies how debating allows learning together, building positive relationships, and skills for life, democracy, and citizenship.
Coordination team
Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo
Project Manager
Vice-president of CEPCEP – Research Center from the Portuguese Catholique University and of EFEE, Rodrigo brought together the different institutions to build the present project with a higher focus on inclusion. With experience in international project management, Rodrigo will drive “Debating skills” until 2025.
Nuno Archer
Pedagogy & Training
Nuno Archer de Carvalho is an educator and researcher with experience in personal and social development projects, including debate projects and teacher training. Nuno works at Colégio Pedro Arrupe and has coordinated the previous European student debate project. He will support the educational potential of “Debating Skills”.
Nederlands Debat Instituut
Training Partner
For over 20 years, this non-profit foundation has been teaching children and youth to speak with more conviction, listen carefully to one another, and keep curious about the opinion of peers. We organize debate tournaments, provide training in schools and help teachers apply debating in their classes.
The worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated. Pericles
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