Do you have something to say about global issues? Join high school students around the world this October in the UN Foundation’s Global Debates. Last year, more than 100 NFL chapters and 88 countries participated by holding public debates in their schools. These debates are the cornerstone, but just the appetizer in a full menu of service speaking opportunities that can lead to winning a trip to New York City and the United Nations for the second annual Youth Leadership Summit in 2009. Raise your voice, speak up and get involved today: participation is also rewarded through several NFL chapter and individual student merit point incentives as well as scholarship opportunities and monetary rewards to leading schools.

October 2008 Topic: The world should adopt our plan* to significantly combat climate change.
* Each team develops, submits (to the UN Foundation), and defends their own specific plan.

The UN Foundation will keep score to determine which schools earn the opportunity to attend the Youth Leadership Summit.

New this year: Schools must submit documentation to the UN Foundation, proving that they actually held a global debate, and what plan they proposed implementing.

How to Get Started

1. Visit the Global Debates Web site to (a) register your school (you must have your plan ready when you register), (b) read about the many ways to earn points (Global Debates points) toward attending the summer 2009 Youth Leadership Summit and (c) learn how to document with video (in the Resource Center).
2. Download the October 2008 Toolkit, full of resources on how to plan and hold public debates.
3. Invite your school community to a public debate featuring the topic above, and videotape/photograph it.
4. Upload video documentation.

NFL Chapter Incentives

Schools can earn NFL credit vouchers to apply toward purchasing merchandise, individual memberships, etc.

• Each of the top 5 scoring schools: $500 NFL credit voucher
• Each school, placing 6th-20th: $100 NFL credit voucher
• Each school holding a global debate°: $50 NFL online store voucher (requires $100 purchase) °fulfilling obligations of the UN Foundation

NFL Point Incentives

Participants can earn National Service merit points as follows:

• Each school can hold up to 10 global debates, with up to 8 participating students per debate.
• A student may participate in up to two debates, earning 10 pts. per debate (20 pts. maximum).
• Each student participating in a UN Foundation approved Service Learning Project (UNFSLP) will receive 10 pts., with a limit of one UNFSLP per student.
• Altogether, a student may earn up to 30 NFL points, which are above and beyond recording limits for local service speaking.

Coach Incentives

• Coaches receive one-tenth of the National Service merit points their students earn.
• Each NFL coach who organizes an event will receive 5 NFL service citations for the first event, and 2 citations for each additional event.

Visit The People Speak's Web site today to sign up!