2025 BLUEBONNET WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE

INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT

IN PERSON and IMPROMPTU!

Grand Oaks High School Spring, TEXAS April 10-12, 2025

IN PERSON! Join us for the 8th annual Bluebonnet World Schools Debate International Tournament in Houston, Texas! The Bluebonnet Tournament will be hosted by Audra Langston-Grand Oaks Debate coach. For years we have drawn the best debaters across the world to the Bluebonnet World Schools Debate Championship. We were the first to introduce the first fully international across all time zones online tournament at the start of the pandemic. We have LOVED being back in person the last few years.

This international tournament will be an experience your team will not want to miss!

Previous Bluebonnet Champions:

2018 Team Mexico

2019 USA Development Team

2020 Team Eton UK

2021 Team Fostering Debate Talent Academy

2022 Team Mexico

2023 Harvard Westlake CA

2024 Mose Bianchi Italy

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

Team Cap: Member Countries are invited to register up to 4 teams (3-5 debaters, 1 judge per

team, 1 coach per delegation). Judges and coaches can be the same individual. Judge fees will be charged for not entering a qualified judge. We want the best judge pool this year for our students.

Divisions: Novice (students in their first year or junior high level)

Championship (students have done WSD a while or may be new and want the challenge)

Food: We provide all meals during competition schedule

Rounds: 5 Debate Rounds, quarters; semi-finals and finals.

Format: Debates will be in English in Worlds Schools Debate Format

Motions: ALL ROUNDS IMPROMPTU this year!

Judges: Experienced Worlds Schools graduate debaters and trained judges per delegation.

Training will be mandatory prior to the first round. All delegations have to be accompanied by at

least one person who is over 18 and will be judging at the tournament. Failure to enter a qualified judge will result in an extra fee for us to hire quality judge.

Workshop: Training and workshops will be provided throughout the tournament

CHIEF ADJUDICATORS: Will be international guests

LOCATION: Grand Oaks High School 4800 Riley Fuzzel Road Spring, TX 77386

The Woodlands/Spring, TEXAS http://www.thewoodlands.com/

We call it The Woodlands. You can call it home while here for the Bluebonnet!

(Located about 30 minutes north of IAH airport/Houston, TX)

HOTEL INFORMATION email for needs bluebonnetwsd@gmail.com or alangston@conroeisd.net

FEES

Tournament Participant Fee - $300/per Championship team and $250 per Novice team

*Fees include entry and meals during the tournament

Teams will be waitlisted until approved by host

Workshop fee $30 for just workshop/$20 for those competing in tournament and doing workshop

Bluebonnet T-shirts $20

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE ALL ROUNDS IMPROMPTU

Thursday, April 10 Clinic-optional and additional cost 9 am -2:30 pm

Round 1

3:00-4:00 prep (judge training)

4:00-5:00 debate

Dinner

Round 2

6:00-7:00 prep (coaches clinic)

7:00-8:00 debate

Friday, April 11

Round 3

3:00-4:00 prep (coach time with guest trainer/make appointment)

4:00-5:00 debate

Snacks/drinks

Round 4

5:30-6:30 prep (coach time with guest trainer/make appointment)

6:30-7:30 debate

Break party and Texas Cultural Night

(each student bring a team or school t-shirt for exchange)

Saturday, April 12

Round 5

8:00-9:00 prep (coaches coffee chat/collaboration)

9:00-10:00 debate

Break announcement and top speaker awards

Quarters

10:45-11:45 prep for teams in (Teams out-work on motion with trainers)

11:45-12:45 debate

Lunch

Semis

1:30-2:30 prep

2:30-3:30 debate

Finals

4:00-5:00 prep (student workshop for those interested)

5:00-6:00 debate

Awards immediately following!

We will accelerate as time allows