Notre Dame High School Team Joins Students From Across the United States, Singapore in New York to Debate Climate Change

What is the most urgent response to climate change?

A team from Notre Dame High School of Sherman Oaks, California, will join students from around the globe in New York City this weekend to debate the answer, as they compete for a $10,000 grand prize during the 12th Annual Bickel
& Brewer/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) Finals.

 The high schools represent seven U.S. states and Singapore. They are the final eight teams to emerge from a field that started with hundreds of teams representing more than 1,000 debaters.

The final debate is open to the public and takes place at 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 13, at The Harold Pratt House in New York City, 58 E. 68th Street at Park Avenue in New York.

The IPPF semifinals and final debate will be broadcast live from New York City at www.bickelbrewer.com/ippf beginning at 10:15 a.m. ET on Saturday. During the final debate at 3:30 p.m. ET, online viewers can cast their vote for the winning school.

The final debate will be judged by a panel that includes Bickel & Brewer Partner William A. Brewer III, Scientific American Executive Editor Fred Guterl, New York University President John Sexton, Emory University Director of Debate Melissa Maxcy Wade, Open Society Foundation Youth Initiative Director Noel Selegzi, and Ocean Conservancy Senior Advisor Dr. Sandra Whitehouse. There will also be one “public vote,” as people from around the world watch the final debate live and vote at www.bickelbrewer.com/ippf .

Founded in 2001, the IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students from around the globe the opportunity – for free – to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. The 2012-13 competition began in October, as teams from 213 high schools – representing  34 states and 30 countries -submitted qualifying round essays on the IPPF topic, “Resolved: Adaptation should be the most urgent response to climate change.”

Judges selected the “Top 32” teams, who then participated in a single-elimination, written debate contest by volleying papers back and forth via e-mail. From October to February, the field was narrowed from 32 teams to 16, and finally to eight.

Notre Dame High School defeated Rato Bangala School from Nepal in the top 32 round. Notre Dame then bested Brookfield East High School of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in the “Sweet 16” round – to earn the all-expenses-paid trip to New York City. Notre Dame is the only California school remaining in the competition. On Saturday, Notre Dame and the other seven remaining teams will compete in face-to-face oral debates – before the last two teams advance to the IPPF Final Debate.

The 2012-13 IPPF World Champion will be named Saturday evening during a Banquet & Awards Ceremony at The Harold Pratt House. Scientific American Executive Editor Fred Guterl will deliver the keynote address. Guterl is the author of the book The Fate of the Species, which explores, in part, the impact of global warming on the human population.

The “Elite 8” teams:

Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas

The Dalton School, New York, New York

Debate Development Initiative, Singapore

East Mountain High School, Sandia Park, New Mexico

Hamilton High School, Chandler, Arizona

Hathaway Brown School, Shaker Heights, Ohio

Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California

Shanley High School, Fargo, North Dakota

About the IPPF and the Bickel & Brewer Foundation:

The IPPF was founded by the Bickel & Brewer Foundation in 2001, 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. Since the IPPF’s inception, the Bickel & Brewer Foundation has awarded more than $2.2 million in support of forensic activities at the secondary school and collegiate levels.

The IPPF is endorsed by leading forensic agencies such as the National Forensic League, 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 placed this program on the NASSP Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.

The Bickel & Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Bickel & Brewer. 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.

For more information, visit the IPPF at www.bickelbrewer.com/ippf , www.facebook.com/ippfdebate or @IPPF1.