Worlds

#BHWorlds

The World is
Coming to Canada

The world’s best student debaters and public speakers are coming to Canada for the first time in history.

Branksome Hall is proud to host the 31st World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from April 11 to 17, 2019.

More than 125 high school debaters and public speakers from around the globe will compete in four challenging categories: debating, interpretive reading and impromptu speaking, as well as either after-dinner speaking or persuasive speaking.

Competitors will rank among the world’s very best student orators — having already proven themselves at local, regional, national and international tournaments. They’ll arrive in Toronto seeking the ultimate prize: the title of world champion.

About
the worlds

The World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship is an annual international English language debating and public speaking tournament for individual high school-level students from around the globe.

The Worlds is represented by a diverse mix of public, private and independent high schools from a broad range of nations including Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, Cyprus, England, Germany, India, Israel, Lithuania, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, United States, and Zimbabwe.

The Worlds is an innovative multi-day tournament which requires students to interact and collaborate with like-minded peers from diverse cultural backgrounds and countries. Each participant must compete in four different events: Debate, Impromptu Speaking and Interpretive Reading, as well as either Persuasive or After Dinner Speaking.

Keynote Speakers

George Elliott Clarke: Debating Power, Deliberating Truth
Opening Ceremony
Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 5:00 p.m.

The fourth Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012-15) and the seventh Parliamentary/Canadian Poet Laureate (2016-17), George Elliott Clarke was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1960. Educated at the University of Waterloo, Dalhousie University, and Queen’s University, Clarke is also a pioneering scholar of African-Canadian literature. A professor of English at the University of Toronto, Clarke has taught at Duke University, McGill University, the University of British Columbia and Harvard University. He holds eight honorary doctorates, plus appointments to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada at the rank of Officer. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. His recognitions include the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellows Prize, the Governor General’s Award for Poetry, the National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry, the Premiul Poesis (Romania), the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction, the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (US) and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award. His books are available in Chinese, Italian, and Romanian.

Chrystia Freeland
Closing Ceremony and Rachel Phillips Belash Speaker Series
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 6:30 p.m.

Chrystia Freeland is Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Member of Parliament for University-Rosedale. An esteemed journalist and author, Chrystia was born in Peace River, Alberta. She received her undergraduate degree in Russian history and literature from Harvard University and obtained a Master of Studies degree in Slavonic Studies from St. Antony’s College, the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. After getting her start as a Ukraine-based stringer for the Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Economist, Chrystia took on a number of roles at the Financial Times, including UK News Editor, Moscow Bureau Chief, Eastern Europe Correspondent, Editor of FT Weekend Magazine, and Editor of FT.com. She served as Deputy Editor of The Globe and Mail between 1999 and 2001 before becoming Deputy Editor and then US Managing Editor of the Financial Times. In 2010, Chrystia joined Canadian-owned Thomson Reuters. She was a Managing Director of the company and Editor of Consumer News when she decided to return home and enter politics.

Chrystia has written two books: Sale of the Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution (2000) and Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else (2012). Plutocrats is a New York Times best-seller and won the Lionel Gelber Prize and National Business Book Award. In 2013, Chrystia gave a TED Talk about global income inequality, based on the themes of Plutocrats. It has been viewed almost two million times.

In 2013, Chrystia was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre in a by-election and then re-elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for University–Rosedale. Between November 2015 and January 2017, she served as Canada’s Minister of International Trade. She is married and the proud mother of three children, raising them in Toronto.

Registration

Click here to be taken to our online registration system.

students Coaches and Chaperones

Registration Fee: US$1,900

Included in registration fee:
Six nights’ accommodation (shared, double occupancy for students / private, single occupancy for coaches and chaperones) at the Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel
Most meals
Most activities and excursions — including a dinner at the CN Tower, half-day trip to Niagara Falls and student dance party

Schedule

The 31st World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships will take place from April 11 to 17, 2019 on and around Branksome Hall’s downtown Toronto campus.

Please note that the following is a preliminary schedule provided to assist participating competitors, schools and national delegations with their preparations and is subject to change at the organizers’ discretion.

Thursday, April 11

3:30 p.m.Registration Opens, Campus Tours & Refreshments
Cloutier/Fortin Family Viewing Gallery, AWC
5:00 p.m.Opening Ceremony Keynote Address: George Elliott Clarke
Gymnasium, AWC
6:00 p.m.Welcome Dinner
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC

Friday, April 12

7:30 a.m.Breakfast Available
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
8:00 a.m.Judges Registration
Gillam Family Community Concourse, AWC
8:30 a.m.Judges & Competitors Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
Performing Arts Centre (Competitors)
9:00 a.m.Interpretive Reading - Round I
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
10:30 a.m.Morning Break & Refreshments
AWC & Performing Arts Centre
10:30 a.m.New Judges Registration
Gillam Family Community Concourse, AWC
11:00 a.m.Judges Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
11:15 a.m.Impromptu Speaking - Round I
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
12:30 p.m.Lunch
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
1:00 p.m.Judges Registration
Gillam Family Community Concourse, AWC
1:15 p.m.Judges & Competitors Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
Performing Arts Centre (Competitors)
1:30 p.m.After-Dinner/Persuasive Speaking - Round I
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
3:30 p.m.Afternoon Break & Refreshments
AWC & Performing Arts Centre
At LeisureDinner*

Saturday, April 13

7:30 a.m.Breakfast Available
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
7:45 a.m.Judges Registration
Gillam Family Community Concourse, AWC
8:30 a.m.Judges and Competitors Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
Performing Arts Centre (Competitors)
9:00 a.m.After-Dinner/Persuasive - Speaking Round II
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
10:45 a.m.Morning Break & Refreshments
AWC & Performing Arts Centre
11:00 a.m.Interpretive Reading - Round II
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
12:30 p.m.Lunch
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
1:00 p.m.Judges Registration
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
1:15 p.m.Judges & Competitors Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
Performing Arts Centre (Competitors)
1:30 p.m.Debate Round I, Flight A
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
2:30 p.m.Afternoon Break & Refreshments
AWC & Performing Arts Centre
2:45 p.m.Debate Round I, Flight B
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
4:15 p.m.Impromptu Speaking - Round II
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
6:15 p.m.Depart for dinner at CN Tower
360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower
9:00 p.m.Return to Hotel

Sunday, April 14

7:30 a.m.Breakfast Available
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
8:00 a.m.Judges Registration
Gillam Family Community Concourse, AWC
8:30 a.m.Judges & Competitors Briefing
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC (Judges)
Performing Arts Centre (Competitors)
9:00 a.m.Debate Round II, Flight A
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
10:15 a.m.Morning Break & Refreshments
AWC & Performing Arts Centre
10:30 a.m.Debate Round II, Flight B
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
12:00 p.m.Lunch
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
1:00 p.m.Niagara Falls Excursion
Depart from Branksome Hall
10:00 p.m.Return to Hotel

Monday, April 15

8:30 a.m.Breakfast Available
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
9:30 a.m.Announcement of Finalists
Performing Arts Centre
10:00 a.m.Debate Motions for Finals
Performing Arts Centre
10:30 a.m.Finals
Various locations, Senior & Middle School
1:00 p.m. Self-Guided Explore Toronto - Part I*
Lunch* at participants’ leisure
6:30 p.m.
(Coaches/chaperones)Worlds Annual General Meeting and Dinner
Eaton Common Room
6:30 p.m.
(Students)Dinner and Dance Party "A Night in the 6ix"
Gymnasium, AWC

Tuesday, April 16

8:30 a.m.Breakfast Available
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC
9:30 a.m. Self-Guided Explore Toronto - Part II*
Lunch* at participants’ leisure
2:00 p.m.Grand Finals
Hart House, University of Toronto
6:30 p.m.Closing Ceremony Keynote Address: The Hon. Chrystia Freeland
Gymnasium, AWC
7:30 p.m.Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony
Christie-Pepall Dining Hall, AWC