From Participants to Leaders 2026

The programme combined practical training, interactive activities and peer-to-peer learning. Rather than focusing only on the theory of coaching and leading a club, participants had the opportunity to design activities themselves, test different training methods, receive feedback, and reflect on how they could apply these approaches in their own debate clubs.

What did we cover?

Throughout the training, participants explored topics including:

• Fundamentals of pedagogy and workshop design
• Interactive drills and activities for debate training
• Motion analysis and case-building activities
• Constructive critique and effective feedback
• Student motivation and retention
• Managing the transition from peer to mentor or coach
• Creating engaging and high-energy training sessions

A central part of the programme was learning by doing. Participants designed their own activities and workshops and had the opportunity to deliver them to their peers. All participants conducted a workshop during the programme, putting their newly developed training skills into practice and receiving constructive feedback from their peers and more experienced coaches.

To conclude, peer-to-peer learning was at the heart of From Participants to Leaders, as all participants brought different experiences and methods of coaching from debate communities across Europe.