School Speaking Contest To Be Held In Bermuda

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The International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition [IISPSC] will be held in Bermuda next month and the “island will witness over 120 high school students from 30 schools across North America and as far away as India showcasing their oratory and debate talents.”

A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda High School [BHS] and Saltus Grammar School are proud to co-host the prestigious International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition [IISPSC] coming to Bermuda for the first time this fall. From October 17th to 20th, the island will witness over 120 high school students from 30 schools across North America and as far away as India showcasing their oratory and debate talents.

“Local teams from BHS, Saltus, and Warwick Academy will also take centre stage, competing head-to-head with some of the brightest student speakers from around the world. Participants will demonstrate their skills in categories such as Impromptu Speaking, News Podcast, Parliamentary Debate, Persuasive Speaking, Dramatic Interpretation, and more.

“This is only the second time in its history that the IISPSC competition has been hosted outside Canada or the United States. Convenors Jennifer Burland Adams [BHS] and Christianna Dakin [Saltus] are no strangers to high-level debate and are poised to deliver an excellent competition. Dakin has coached Saltus’ public speaking teams since 2004 and spent nearly a decade coaching the Bermuda team for the World Schools Debate Competition. Burland Adams, passionate about public speaking and debate as a Bermuda High School student, competed in the 1994 IISPSC competition, in Nova Scotia. Their shared passion led to the creation of the Spring Public Speaking and Debating Tournament, hosted at Saltus in March 2024—a precursor to what promises to be an unforgettable international competition.

Commenting on the upcoming competition, Burland Adams and Dakin shared, “This is an extraordinary opportunity for Bermuda’s students to sharpen their public speaking skills against some truly world-class competitors—all without leaving the island. This event fosters creativity and showmanship and helps students build critical thinking, teamwork, and collaboration skills. We’re ready to deliver an unforgettable experience for our visitors, and we can’t wait to see what Bermuda’s students will accomplish on this global stage.”

“The event will take place at the BHS campus on October 17th and 18th, before moving to the Saltus St. John’s campus on October 19th and 20th. The schools are appealing to the public for volunteers to assist with judging. Interested parties can register as volunteers at https://iispsc2024.weebly.com/volunteering.html.

“No prior experience in judging debate or public speaking is required, as training sessions will be provided ahead of the event. IISPSC 2024 is grateful to its sponsors, the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] and the English Speaking Union, for their support of this event.

“Overseas schools attending include:

Ambrae Academy Balmoral Hall Branksome Hall Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Collingwood School Crofton House School Deerfield Academy Gray Academy King’s-Edgehill School Lakefield College School Lauremont School MacLachlan College Mulgrave School Ridley College St. Andrew’s College St. Clement’s School St. John’s Ravenscourt School Strathcona Tweedsmuir School The Bishop Strachan School The Country Day School The Hotchkiss School The Roxbury Latin School The Winsor School The York School TMS UTS Villanova College VIVEK HIGH SCHOOL Waynflete School West Point Grey Academy