Empower the youth - let's give them voice

by Windmills of Masuria Association
Empower the youth - let's give them voice
Empower the youth - let's give them voice
Empower the youth - let's give them voice
Empower the youth - let's give them voice
Empower the youth - let's give them voice
Empower the youth - let's give them voice

Project Report | Feb 3, 2025
Empower young minds through the Oxford debates

By Iwona Olkowicz | Project coordinator

our team as a jury
our team as a jury

 - - - /Polish version below/ - - -

We’ve recruited students from four high schools to join the 3rd edition of the Mazurian Oxford Debate League. With four debate teams from Elk’s schools, we’ll be kicking off workshops right after the winter break, starting February 10. Our plan is ambitious but achievable: by the end of March, we aim to organize debate workshops for the students, training sessions for debate mentors on how to effectively support their teams, as well as semi-finals leading up to an exciting grand finale just before Easter to crown the winning team.  

We’re continually expanding our knowledge base to ensure our workshops are impactful, covering topics like building arguments, critical thinking, and fact-checking. Our goal is to refine the tools and methods we use to inspire and equip young people for success.  

To better prepare for this year's debate tournament and to support our students in this challenging endeavor, we visited the Zywiec Development Foundation, which has over a decade of experience organizing debate tournaments. Together with three local organizations, we participated in a debate workshop and had the unique opportunity to serve as judges during the 11th Podbeskidzie Oxford Debate Tournament. It’s safe to say judging was even harder than preparing the students for debates! Both the young debaters and the judges were equally nervous – I felt like I was back in school before a major test! It was a day filled with emotions and invaluable lessons. 

This experience taught us an important lesson: we need to ensure our judges are prepared to give thorough and constructive feedback to the debaters immediately after each debate. The students in Zywiec valued this feedback immensely – they craved recognition for what they did well, but also actionable advice on areas for improvement. Following in the Zywiec Foundation’s footsteps, we will also collect official registrations for our debate league, ensuring we have all the necessary consents (for data processing and the use of participants’ images for promotional purposes).  

We still need your support to keep the Oxford Debate League alive and thriving.

Your help enables us to work with young people and organize debates independently of public funding.  

Will you help us make it happen? 

- Click here: http://goto.gg/57433 to make a donation – even a small contribution makes a big difference!  

- Share our appeal with your friends and family.  

Thank you for standing with us! Together, we can achieve so much more!

 

- - - /Polish version/ - - - 

Wzmacniamy mlode umysly poprzez debaty oksfordzkie juz po raz trzeci!

Zrekrutowalismy mlodziez z 4 szkól srednich, z którymi organizujemy III edycje Mazurskiej Ligi Debat Oksfordzkich. Mamy cztery druzyny debatanckie z elckich szkól, z którymi po feriach zimowych (czyli od 10 lutego) zaczynamy warsztaty. Zakladamy, ze do konca marca tego roku zorganizujemy warsztaty dla mlodziezy, zajecia dla opiekunów debat, jak wspierac mlodziez w debatowaniu, a takze zorganizujemy do tego czasu pólfinaly, aby przed Wielkanoca zorganizowac finaly i wylonic zwycieska druzyne.

Caly czas powiekszamy nasza baze wiedzy, która jest przydatna w prowadzeniu zajec o budowaniu argumentacji, o krytycznym mysleniu i weryfikowaniu informacji. Chcemy udoskonalac nasze narzedzia w pracy z mlodzieza.

Aby lepiej przygotowac sie do organizacji turnieju debat i wspierac mlodziez w tym trudnym wyzwaniu, odwiedzilismy Zywiecka Fundacje Rozwoju, która od ponad 10 lat organizuje turnieje debat. Wspólnie z trzema lokalnymi organizacjami wzielismy udzial w warsztacie debatowania, a takze moglismy popracowac jako jurorzy podczas 11 edycji Turnieju Debat Oksfordzkich Podbeskidzie. Trzeba przyznac, ze ocenianie mlodziezy jest trudniejsze, niz ich przygotowywanie do debatowania! Stres panowal zarówno wsród mlodych debatantów, jak i wsród jurorów. Ja przypomnialam sobie czasy szkolne przed wazna klasówka! To byl dzien pelen wielkich emocji.

Z tego doswiadczenia wyciagnelismy wazne wnioski – musimy tak pracowac z naszymi jurorami, aby byli gotowi tuz po debacie przekazac rzetelna informacje zwrotna debatantom, co bylo wysoko oceniane, a co wymaga poprawy. Mlodziez z Zywca bardzo czekala na te informacje – z jednej strony potrzebowali docenienia, a z drugiej strony konstruktywnej informacji, co wymaga dopracowania. Bedziemy tez – podobnie jak Zywiecka Fundacja Rozwoju – zbierali oficjalne zgloszenia do ligi debat, aby miec od razu wszystkie niezbedne zgody (na przetwarzanie danych osobowych i wykorzystanie wizerunku uczestników na potrzeby promocji). 

Nadal potrzebujemy Twojego wsparcia, aby móc kontynuowac organizacje debat oksfordzkich i dzialac z mlodzieza, niezaleznie od dotacji ze srodków publicznych.

Pomozesz nam w tym?

Kliknij tutaj http://goto.gg/57433 i wplac, chocby drobna kwote. Przekaz nasza prosbe znajomym. Z góry dziekujemy, ze jestes z nami! Razem mozemy wiecej!

Jesli rozliczasz podatki w Polsce, to mozesz tez przekazac Stowarzyszeniu Wiatraki Mazur swoje 1,5% od podatku dochodowego. Wystarczy, ze w zeznaniu rocznym wpiszesz nasz nr KRS: 0000401481. Ty nic nie tracisz (bo i tak placisz podatki), a my zyskujemy wsparcie na kontynuacje naszych dzialan z mlodzieza. Z góry dziekujemy!

workshops at the Zywiec Development Foundation
workshops at the Zywiec Development Foundation
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Sep 29, 2024
New schools for debates - your support matters!

By Iwona Olkowicz | Project coordinator

May 31, 2024
The first students vs. teachers debate

By Iwona Olkowicz | Project coordinator

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Organization Information

Windmills of Masuria Association

Location: Stare Juchy - Poland
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Project Leader:
Iwona Olkowicz
Stare Juchy , Poland

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