Grade 10 Student in World Scholars Cup Finals at Yale University
The World Scholars Cup is a global competition where students, representing schools from over 50 countries, discuss issues that concern the world today and also face in the future. Students, in teams of three, prepare for and take part in several different events: the Scholar's Challenge, Collaborative Writing, The Team Debate, and the Scholar's Bowl.
The World Scholars Cup gives opportunity for our students to demonstrate their sense of identity. It shares important values and recognises that learning should not only be about final examinations. Every year has a specific theme. This year the title was an ‘An Unlikely World’. The theme drew upon the multitude of apparent impossibilities that be seen in our beautifully chaotic society.
Every year the World Scholars Cup journey begins with regional rounds all across the world commencing in January, with high performing teams then being invited to one of three Global rounds in the summer. For Grade 10 student, Oliver S., the journey began in February with the regional round hosted in Shanghai. Oliver and his teammates were successful in making it through to the Global round during the summer in Athens, Greece.
In Athens, Oliver and his team were successful and invited to attend the Tournament of Champions Finals held at Yale University, USA in November. To make the Tournament of Champions is no mean feat as the competition started this year with 30,000 students competing in the regionals. The numbers whittled down to approximately 8,000 for the Global rounds, that were held in Vietnam, Cape Town and Athens and then finally to 2,000 students that attended the Tournament of Champions at Yale, USA.
In each round, there is the opportunity to win medals that exemplify achievement from personal recognition to team awards. Oliver achieved 6 gold medals and 3 silvers in the Tournament of Champions. Special recognition was given for placing 14th overall in debating and 28th overall in writing.
Participation in this competition has allowed Oliver and his fellow peers to gain deeper insight into the world around us. Albeit an academic event, it is also at its core, a diverse and cultural social gathering of scholars that come from all around the world. Fun and a sense of global community set to inspire students to wish to make a difference.
