member
YouthSpeakUp: Empowering Youth with Debate
project
Mar 15, 2024 - Mar 14, 2026
The project helps young people build critical thinking, communication, and democratic participation skills through debate-based learning. The project supports teachers, youth workers, trainers, and educational organisations by developing practical materials that make debate more accessible.
YouthSpeakUp: Empowering Youth with Debate is an Erasmus+ project designed to strengthen the capacities of youth workers and trainers, improve access to educational opportunities for young people with fewer opportunities, and encourage more active democratic engagement through debate methodology.
By providing structured learning resources and practical guidance, the project promotes debate as a tool for critical thinking, media literacy, argumentation, public speaking, research skills, and active citizenship.
The project also supports inclusive, student-centred learning environments and helps create sustainable debate activities that can continue in schools, youth centres, and local communities beyond the project itself.
Key activities
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Project management
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Developing a debate manual
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Developing an organisational manual for debate clubs
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Creating debate video lessons
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Dissemination
Outputs
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Debate manual
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Organisational manual for debate clubs
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10 video lessons on debate
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Materials disseminated directly to 200 high school teachers and youth educators
Expected outcomes
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Increased accessibility of organisational and debate knowledge
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Debate clubs become more resilient when key figures move on
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Easier establishing of debate clubs, especially in remote areas
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More motivated young people to engage actively in democratic processes through debate
Materials:
As part of the project, we are sharing a broader set of educational resources and materials. They can be used together or independently and support the creation, development, and long-term sustainability of debate activities.
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Debate Manual: Beginner’s Debate Course Workshops
A structured training programme introducing fundamental debate skills through step-by-step workshops combining theory and practical exercises. -
Debate Manual: Topical Workshops
A collection of thematic modules explaining key social, political, economic, and ethical concepts commonly used in competitive debate. -
Organisational Manual: How to Start and Run a Debate Club
A practical guide for teachers, youth workers, and students on establishing, managing, and sustaining a debate club or programme. -
Glossary of Debate Terms
A reference guide explaining essential debate terminology used in training, practice, and competitions. -
Video Lessons
A series of short instructional videos covering core debate skills.
The project is led by Open Communication, and partners are International Debate Education Association and Croatian Debate Society. The project is co-funded by Erasmus+ (KA220-YOU – Cooperation partnerships in youth.
