Work with us
We believe in debate for everyone and everywhere. If you are interested in supporting and expanding a global network of non-profit debate programmes, IDEA is where you want to be.
Working at IDEA
Beyond tournaments and personal achievement, what is the impact of debating? At IDEA, we believe debating can be transformative for everyone. However, not everyone has access to the activity we know can change lives. As a membership organisation, we are here to support local and national debate organisations in delivering high-quality debate programmes, expanding their reach, and cooperating internationally.
That is why we are inspired by people driven by an altruistic passion for debate education. We’re looking for ambitious, independent experts interested in our current work and exploring new ideas. You will work in an environment that nurtures the same values that it teaches to young people - critical thinking, openness, adaptability, respect for others. Remote work is entirely possible, and flexible working hours are the norm at IDEA.
What's on our roster at the moment?
Our projects are designed to expand our view of debate as a competitive activity towards debate as a pedagogical approach with many practical applications - for example, a methodology suitable for teaching media and information literacy, or gaining a deeper understaining of the green transformation and sustainability as opposed to greenwashing. The possibilities are many, and all focus on using debate as a vehicle towards active and informed citizenship.
In addition to recruiting and supporting more members from across the world, we are in the process of developing an all-encompasing online debate environment to remove barriers to acces to our programmes. From providing tournament organisers with software suitable for, well, organising tournaments, to providing debate clubs with a participant registration and progress tracking system, all the way to a debate social network and an e-learning hub for debaters, coaches and teachers, our ambitions are set high.
Thankfully, we are not complete digital transformation converts and fully understand that the in-person component of debating is essential to its impact. We have reinstated the IDEA Youth Forum, the largest annual gathering for experts who work in debate education, in 2021 and 2022, and already have multiple international events lined up and dedicated to organisational capacity building, as well as coach, teacher, and debater training.
Finally, as debaters, we are prone to letting the knowledge about the many, many benefits of debating stay floating within our bubble. This is why we are supporting debate-focused research and partnering up with research institutions, hoping to explore existing and potential impact debating has on young people engaged in our programmes.
Are you in?
Debating, globally and locally, is fueled by countless volunteer hours and selfless work of many individuals who, although passionate about the activity, often have to throw in the towel due to the unsustainable nature of the work involved.
We are aiming to change that and create professional opportunities in the realm of debating, while ensuring debate programmes remain or become accessible to young people, regardless of their background, all over the world.
We are open to discussing your particlar interests, as well as your ideas about future projects. Some work assignment options at IDEA include:
- developing learning and teaching materials based on debate methodology
- creating training modules for coaches, teachers, and debaters
- delivering training sessions
- creating e-learning courses
- collaborating with our IT partners on developing relevant digital tools and platforms
- fundraising, writing grant applications, and outreach towards potential partners and donors
- participating in existing projects having to do with different applications of debate methodology, and coming up with new intervention areas
- project management and collaboration with different project partners, from other debate organisations and schools to different NGOs and research institutions
- increasing the visibility and reach of IDEA through our website and social networks
If that sounds like something you would like to contribute to, do not hesitate to contact us.
