Youth Debate Finals 2024 at GISSV San Francisco

Last week, our San Francisco campus had the privilege of co-hosting the 2024 Jugend debattiert North America Finals alongside the German Consulate General in San Francisco. This prestigious youth debating competition, sponsored by the Central Agency for German Schools Abroad (ZfA), fosters critical thinking, articulate expression, and democratic engagement in German. The event brought together sixteen talented young debaters and their teachers from German International and Saturday Schools across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It provided a platform for these students to hone their debating skills, connect with peers, and engage in meaningful dialogue.

During the week, intensive workshops were held at our San Francisco campus, where participants refined their rhetoric skills—learning to present their arguments with conviction while also listening to and engaging thoughtfully with opposing viewpoints. These skills were put to the test during the grand final, held on Friday at SAP Labs in downtown San Francisco, where four finalists—Emilia Voss, Maya Kodali, Milla Michl, and Käthe von Gadow—debated the timely issue of whether single-use plastic should be banned, all in German. Consul General Schramm was present to welcome the students to the final round, emphasizing the significance of debate in building essential life skills for protecting and nurturing democracy.

GISSV’s Head of School (interim), Dr. Alexandra Blank, had the pleasure of serving as a jury member for the grand final, contributing to the evaluation of these skilled debaters.

We are incredibly proud to have supported this program, which encourages critical thinking, respectful engagement, and the formation of lifelong friendships. Congratulations to Milla Michl, from the German International School Washington D.C. (GISW), the North America champion, who will return next year as an alumni to continue her debating journey.

A special thanks goes to Hannah Wexler from GISSV, whose dedication and hard work made this event possible, ensuring everything ran smoothly from the workshops to the final round.

We are grateful to the German Consulate General for their partnership and to the ZfA for making this inspiring event possible. It was an honor to host these young debaters and witness their passion for discussion and democracy.

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