From September 5 to October 1, seven English Access Microscholarship (Access) alumni completed eight debate training sessions at Amideast/Gaza. The sessions were led and facilitated by two YES alumni, Karim Abualnaja ’22 and Yara Abu Ramadan ’22. Alumna Sarah Almzainy ’16 arranged the logistics for the training.

The training introduced the participants to debate and public speaking, methods of debate, and mock debates. These skills have been highly sought after and aren’t always accessible to students in communities. 

By the end of the training, the participants were able to successfully conduct a public debate forum where they applied the theoretical and practical skills acquired. They then filled ballots to evaluate the performance of debaters based on their contentions. This training was the first in a planned series to ensure other YES and Access alumni can benefit their communities by providing access to valuable and practical skills lessons. 

Sarah Almzainy (YES 2015-2016, Gaza, placed by AYA/AIFS in Evansville, IN)

Karim Abualnaja (YES 2021-2022, Gaza, placed by YFU USA in Granger, IN)

Yara Abu Ramadan (YES 2021-2022, Gaza, placed by AFS in Portland, OR)