Colleyville, Texas December 18, 2015
The Global Competition Sponsored by the Brewer Foundation and New York University
Students from Colleyville Heritage High School have advanced to the “Top 32” round of the International Public Policy Forum (IPPF). Sponsored by the Brewer Foundation and New York University, the IPPF is the first and only debate competition that gives high school students around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
By advancing, the students remain eligible to win a $10,000 grand prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City on April 2, 2016.
“These students have distinguished themselves in this unique test of research, writing and advocacy skills,” says William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Brewer Foundation and a founder of the IPPF. “They now advance to the Round of 32 – another step closer to the IPPF Finals.”
This year, hundreds of teams submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the IPPF topic, “Resolved: Genetically modified organisms are essential to global food security.” Those essays were reviewed by a committee, which determined the “Round of 64” teams based on the overall quality of each 2,800-word essay.
In November, the “Round of 64” teams then began a single-elimination, written debate competition. Each team was assigned a position (affirmative or negative) and then volleyed papers back and forth with another team via email. A panel of judges reviewed the essays and selected the winning teams. In that round, Colleyville Heritage High School advanced over Mount Pisgah Christian School from Johns Creek, Georgia.
The “Top 32” round begins immediately. Colleyville Heritage will compete against Hathaway Brown School from Shaker Heights, Ohio. The top 32 teams represent schools from 19 U.S. states. The teams come from five countries, including the United States, Slovenia, and China.
The prevailing teams will be announced on January 26, and will compete in the “Sweet 16” round. On February 29, the “Elite 8” teams will be announced. Those teams will travel to New York City on an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City. The Finals will take place on April 2, 2016, at the Harold Pratt House.
The IPPF Finals give students the opportunity to participate in oral debates in front of some of the world’s foremost experts in debate, business, law and politics. The winning team will take home the “Brewer Cup” and a $10,000 grand prize.
The “Top 32” teams:
Abington Heights High School, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
The American School in Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas
Bob Jones High School, Madison, Alabama
Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
Colleyville Heritage High School, Colleyville, Texas
The Davidson Academy of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
Durham Academy, Durham, North Carolina
East Mountain High School, Sandia Park, New Mexico
East Ridge High School, Woodbury, Minnesota
Gimnazija Bežigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Connecticut
Hamilton High School (Team A), Chandler, Arizona
Hamilton High School (Team B), Chandler, Arizona
Harvard-Westlake School, Studio City, California
Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, Lindon, Utah
La Cañada High School, La Cañada, California
Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri
Livingston High School, Livingston, New Jersey
Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland
Nanyang Girls’ High School, Singapore
North Allegheny Senior High School, Wexford, Pennsylvania
Plano Senior High School, Plano, Texas
Sage Ridge High School, Reno, Nevada
Shanghai American School, Shanghai, China
St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minnesota
Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York
Union High School, Camas, Washington
The Webb Schools, Claremont, California
Woodward Academy, College Park, Georgia
About the IPPF and the Brewer Foundation:
The IPPF was founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation (formerly Bickel & Brewer Foundation), and is now jointly administered with New York University. The program is available to all high schools around the world – public and private – for free. The IPPF is endorsed by leading forensic agencies, such as the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the International Debate Education Association, the Impact Coalition, Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Leagues, and the National Debate Coaches Association. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed the IPPF on the NASSP Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities every year since 2012.
The Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. With offices in New York and Dallas, the Foundation has achieved widespread recognition for its efforts to create, fund and manage a variety of educational outreach programs.
Visit the IPPF at www.ippfdebate.com.
