As was previously posted, and information distributed to coaches, The CSDF is organizing “Debate Camp” in parallel with the “CSDF National Seminar” that takes place every year, and is normally in the Fall. The timing will be different this year, and it will be the first time the Seminar has been in person in four years. The CSDF, for a number of reasons, is running the two events simultaneously, and this will be a renewed call for OSDU schools to have students apply to officially represent Ontario as one of OSDU’s National Seminar delegates.
While the Seminar is being run in parallel with the debate camp, it has a different funding model in terms of money that supports it. It is also targeted specifically to newer debaters, ( you may not have attended a senior level national event ) and has a restriction of one per school, and a requirement for 2 of the Ontario delegates to be in the French and Bilingual categories. As well, the National Seminar, as a result of it’s association with Exchanges Canada, aims to have students who represents certain target groups, namely: a) Indigenous Youth b) Visible Minority c) Rural ( < 10,000 people ) d) Youth with Disability
The Seminar focuses on a less competitive aspect of debate, and through Exchanges Canada aims to host a truly national experience where you learn about, and interact with, others from across Canada. It is for that reason that you must attend the residential component ( accommodation at Glendon College ), and fully immerse in the event for the entire week. Because the goals are slightly different, there will be a slightly different programme, and the focus will be much heavier on it being a truly bilingual experience. There will be about 50 students distributed from most if not all of 12 provinces and territories, and it will be a truly unique experience. As mentioned OSDU will select 6 students for the National Seminar. Again, please keep in mind the National Seminar is a non-competitive debate seminar which includes a debate “tournament”, model parliament event, and debate workshops, with a focus on fostering your knowledge of Canada, and meeting people from across the country. This type of experience may not be for everyone, and of course spots are very limited.
If you are interested in attending the National Seminar as one of the Ontario delegates, please email seminar@csdf-fcde.ca.
Keep in mind that students who are not eligible for being a National Seminar delegate, or have too much experience, etc. please do consider registering for this event under the banner of Debate Camp. Anyone may do so without restriction, at any time. As mentioned, there is significant overlap between the two experiences. We have had a good level of registration from Ontario, but there are still many spots available!
You may find all information about Debate Camp here: https://csdf-fcde.ca/debate-camp/
Debater Registration Link: https://forms.gle/n21yAgzTXZtex8C57
Coaches Registration Link: https://forms.gle/7DCnutbpVgMxUyUw7
Information about National Seminar is here: https://csdf-fcde.ca/national-seminar-2023/
OSDU’s National Seminar delegates need to be accepted officially first of all, but given the timeline and number of Ontario applicants to date, we are likely to simply accept serious and eligible applicants to fill the spots.
This is a truly unique debate experience which promises to be a lot of fun, and we hope you or your students will be part of it!