What is Debate4Kids?
An online platform for students to learn public speaking skills. We focus on speech and debate formats, divided into four levels: Junior, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. These formats are accessible to children ages 11-18. Platform membership provides all necessary material for teachers to use in class, and access to personalised expert feedback every month. We are currently developing the ability for  Debate4Kids members to debate via Skype.
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How does it work?
The platform is designed to be used as a teaching tool. Therefore we believe the initiative is teacher-led, and membership is per classroom.

• Each level per category (speech or debate) offers the following materials:
• In-website presentation for teachers containing rules of the format within a level.
• Speech structure strategy
• Example Script
• Example of how a student at that proficiency level would structure their speech based on rules, time limit, and rhetorical strategies.
• Levels are incremental. Each level can serve as a foundation for the next level.

How do we evaluate?
We provide a general feedback/evaluation guideline that provides standardized feedback. Both teachers and EFKF trainers will base their critique based on this guideline.
This guideline focuses on the positive aspects of speeches to reinforce the student’s good performance.
Once a month, teachers can send us a video of their students conducting a debate or of individual speeches. These videos can be of improvised speeches/debates, or ones practiced with the classroom. The EFKF will send back feedback for the students as video/document/voice recording (depending on the availability of the trainer) which gives thorough and expansive feedback for students to improve.

Why this matters
The EFKF debating platform is designed to tackle two salient issues in the learning of public speaking.

1. Many people, particularly children, find public speaking scary. Many public speaking formats and traditions focus on negative criticism, i.e. what the student did wrong. Given the high-pressure nature of public speaking, this can be too overwhelming for students who no longer feel confident enough to continue with the activity. The EFKF method focuses on positive criticism, and reinforcing strengths. Our aim is to create students who are at ease speaking in public, not necessarily the next best speaker in the world.
2. Lack of continuity
   In the debating world, it’s hard to ensure student learning within a format. Often times, debate clubs/activities have guest coaches from time to time but no overarching guidance structure. Our once-a-month feedback within guidelines parameters hopes to provide said continuity.

What do we ask?
€ 100,- per year donation for English for Kidsfoundation. With the EFKF Membership we can support 10 kids per year. 

Check it out!
Visit the plaform for a first impression.
https://englishforkidsf.wixsite.com/debate4kids