CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Keeping up their 2014 record thus far, debate students from Bob Jones High School have advanced to the Top 32 spotlight with the International Public Policy Forum (IPPF).

Bob Jones is the only team from Alabama to advance to this round. The Brewer Foundation and New York University sponsor the forum.

The forum is the first and only debate competition that offers high school students around the world a venue in which to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.

In 2015, Bob Jones students moved to the forum finals in New York City.

“These students have distinguished themselves in this unique test of research, writing and advocacy skills,” Brewer Foundation chairman William A. Brewer III said.

The debate topic for this year is “Resolved: Genetically modified organisms are essential to global food security.” Hoping to qualify, hundreds of teams submitted 2,800-word essays affirming or negating the debate topic.

Then, qualifying teams volleyed papers back and forth by email. In that round, Bob Jones advanced over International School of Geneva in Switzerland.

In the Top 32 round, Bob Jones will square off against Los Alamos High School from New Mexico. The teams come from five countries, including The American School in Tokyo, Japan; Gimnazija Bezigrad in Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Shanghai American School in China.

Forum officials will announce the “Sweet 16” on Jan. 26. On Feb. 29, the “Elite 8” teams will be announced for the finals, scheduled on April 2.

Founded in 2001, the forum is free to students in public and private schools around the world. The forum has received endorsement from leading forensic agencies, like the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues and Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Leagues.

The Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization that funds various educational outreach programs.

For more information, visit ippfdebate.com.