A student at Henry Clay High School has moved into the Top 32 round of the Bickel & Brewer/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), which awards a $10,000 grand prize. No other school from Kentucky advanced this year.
Ben Swanson, a junior, entered the contest on his own. Now he’s a one-man competitor among teams representing schools in 18 states and seven other countries. Each team will be awarded a cash prize, with the amount increasing for every round as they test their research, writing and advocacy skills.
Swanson will square off against Team Czech Republic from Prague as judges review the essays they volley back and forth via email. The round’s winners will advance to the Sweet 16 and then the Elite Eight, with those teams receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to April’s finals in New York City.
The IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. This year, 213 teams – from 34 states and 29 other countries – submitted 2,800-word qualifying-round essays either affirming or negating the topic “Resolved: Adaptation should be the most urgent response to climate change.”
For more information, visit www.bickelbrewer.com/ippf or contact Katherine Leal Unmuth, (214) 653-4832.
Did you know?
A team from Henry Clay High School was runner-up in the 2009-2010 contest. | Archived feature article