Voice
Words are powerful.
Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association
Email: info@saskdebate.com
Website: www.saskdebate.com
Location: 310 Wall Street Suite 207 Saskatoon, SK S7K 1N7
Phone: (306) 780-9243
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skdebate/
Twitter: @SEDA
The SEDA newsletter is back!
Before The Voice was SEDA's newsletter - Voice. :-). This newsletter will act as an information hub for teachers, coaches, students, and parents to stay updated on SEDA activities and events.
SEDA is 45.
2019 marks SEDA's 45th year.
The Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association is a registered charity and volunteer-driven organization founded in 1974 by teachers who saw the value of speech and debate taught in the classroom.
From those humble beginnings, SEDA has evolved into a provincial organization that continues with its vision to train young people in the power of words, critical thinking and citizenship through debate and speech activities.
This is an important year. Words are powerful.
Our motto is a reminder to us all that words amplify our intent. Using speech and debate, we learn to use words effectively, think critically and listen carefully. We also routinely and intentionally challenge each other to consider how we are using this skill with words to make a better society for others.
As we come into 2019 and remember 45 years of SEDA, our desire is to build capacity in our organization and community so we can continue to grow our programs and activities and keep them accessible and available to students across Saskatchewan. Our desire in SEDA is that through their involvement with speech and debate, students will find their voice, use it meaningfully and be engaged citizens.
As we celebrate our 45th Anniversary we invite you to join our ‘Words Are Powerful’ Campaign and donate to support SEDA and its work with Saskatchewan's young people.
In the coming months we hope to have opportunities to gather together those who have been involved with SEDA. We would like to remember lessons from the last 45 years, listen to stories of how things were 'back in the day' and stories about where your journeys have taken you and celebrate. We would like to take the time to honor the contributions you have made to SEDA's growth, introduce you to our young students just starting in speech and debate and then to just have conversations! We will be in touch but please consider this an invitation to renewed conversations.
It is good to be in touch!
Melissa Ong, SEDA Executive Director
2018-2019 SEDA Season: Finishing Well
This past schoolyear we had ten successful debate tournaments and two speech tournaments that hosted twenty-seven debate clubs, with an average of nine teams attending each event.
Our Provincial tournament in particular was a huge success thanks to Lynne Thompson, North Battleford Comprehensive High School, and the North Battleford community. It was fitting that as we come to this juncture in SEDA's lifecycle that the 2019 E.C. Leslie Provincial Debate Championships held last March 16, 2016 was hosted by a school whose motto is "FROM POSSIBILITY TO ACTUALITY".
You can read all about the community's spirit and hospitality in the News-Optimist.
Congratulations to students who attended the Senior National Debate Championships in Halifax this past April. Currently our students grades seven to nine are preparing to attend the Junior Nationals in Montreal, Quebec later this month.
Preparations Under way for 2019 - 2020 Season
SEDA's season will kick off with our August Debate Camp in Saskatoon - August 12-16. Watch for our forthcoming newsletter all about Camp!
We are currently working on the schedule for the 2019-2020 season and hope to have dates and hosts set in the next few weeks. If there is a coach or school interested in hosting, please let us know.
SEDA is able to do workshops if there are teachers or schools who would want us to bring speech and Debate training/workshops to their classroom in May/June.
Coming up SEDA is hosting some special events:
- Team Canada Worlds Training Camp in August, 2019
- The Canadian National British Parliamentary Debate Championships (formerly the Oxford Cup) on December 6-8, 2019
- THE CSDF National Seminar in September 2020
If you have questions or would like to volunteer, feel free to drop us a line: Melissa Ong, Executive Director at director@saskdebate.com or Lindsay Kiesman at info@saskdebate.com
In keeping with our dedication to quality events for our members, SEDA will be focusing on communication and fundraising this season. We appreciate your support by following our Facebook and Twitter feed, and subscribing to this newsletter, Voice.
We are looking forward to an exciting season!