Message from Debate Mate
At its core, Debate Mate is an employability programme which aims to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills and opportunities to secure meaningful employment. To do this, we set up and run after-school debating clubs in areas of high educational disadvantage, recruiting top university students to deliver our programmes while acting as inspiring role models and peer to peer mentors. Our transformative methodology, which uses debating as a vehicle to teach key 21st century employability skills, is proven to develop critical and creative thinking, empathy, resilience, leadership, teamwork and, above all, core confidence in the young people we work with. Over the past ten years, more than 65,000 young people have benefited from our programmes.”
We have been working with Debate Mate on a 2-day course at the Social Science Research Park – Cardiff University (SPARK) building. We have been learning new skills such as the basics of debating as well as more advanced work on generating arguments and rebuttal. We also covered a range of topics and motions including a final debate on gender equality in sports.
The Debate Mate mentors commented:
“All round, I saw all students participate and gain confidence throughout the day and they felt much more prepared and knowledgeable!” and that, “the students that had already done the program were acting as team leaders and were taking charge in the groups which was also nice to see.”
During October half term we will be working again with the team to debate gender equity issues against pupils from schools across the city. This will help shape the work we do going forward, trying to help improve gender equity.
Here are some of things our members involved said:
Steffan says – “Vegan coronation chicken sandwiches were bangin.”
Jesslin says – “As a person who loves to debate, I found the workshop incredible! The programme was compressed of brilliant methods and techniques to improve our points during a debate as well as giving us things to look out for whilst opposing to other views. The workshop also provided us with several opportunities to practise these skills amongst each other, which was definitely a great laugh. On the whole, it was a fun and exciting experience that has really helped us all become great debaters!”
Megan says – “From the beginning, Debatemate training was both extremely enjoyable and fascinating. Over its two days, not only learning about the workings of parliamentary debates but taking part in our own versions of them meant that I had alot of fun; I left the training feeling not only that I’d improved my skills in debating, but that I was sad that the two days were over. “
Rydym wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Debate Mate ar gwrs deuddydd yn adeilad Parc Ymchwil y Gwyddorau Cymdeithasol – Prifysgol Caerdydd (SPARK). Rydym wedi bod yn dysgu sgiliau newydd megis hanfodion dadlau yn ogystal â gwaith mwy datblygedig ar gynhyrchu dadleuon a thalentog. Gwnaethom hefyd ymdrin ag ystod o bynciau a chynigion gan gynnwys dadl derfynol ar gydraddoldeb rhywiol mewn chwaraeon.
Dywedodd y mentoriaid Discuss Mate:
“Yn gyffredinol, gwelais yr holl fyfyrwyr yn cymryd rhan ac yn magu hyder trwy gydol y dydd ac roeddent yn teimlo’n llawer mwy parod a gwybodus!” a bod, “Roedd y myfyrwyr a oedd eisoes wedi gwneud y rhaglen yn gweithredu fel arweinwyr tîm ac yn cymryd cyfrifoldeb yn y grwpiau a oedd hefyd yn braf i’w gweld.”
Yn ystod hanner tymor mis Hydref, byddwn yn gweithio eto gyda’r tîm i drafod materion cydraddoldeb rhywiol yn erbyn disgyblion o ysgolion ledled y ddinas. Bydd hyn yn helpu i lunio’r gwaith a wnawn wrth symud ymlaen, gan geisio helpu i wella cydraddoldeb rhywiol.
Dyma rai o’r pethau y mae ein haelodau yn cymryd rhan yn dweud:
Dywed Steffan – “Roedd brechdanau ieir coroni fegan yn bangin.”
Dywed Jesslin – “Fel person sydd wrth ei fodd yn trafod, roedd y gweithdy’n anhygoel! Cywasgwyd y rhaglen o ddulliau a thechnegau gwych i wella ein pwyntiau yn ystod dadl yn ogystal â rhoi pethau i ni edrych amdanynt wrth wrthwynebu safbwyntiau eraill. Roedd y gweithdy hefyd yn rhoi sawl cyfle i ni ymarfer y sgiliau hyn ymhlith ei gilydd, a oedd yn sicr yn chwerthinllyd iawn. Ar y cyfan, roedd yn brofiad hwyliog a chyffrous sydd wedi ein helpu ni i gyd i ddod yn ddadleuwyr gwych!”
Dywed Megan – “O’r dechrau, roedd hyfforddiant Trafod yn hynod o bleserus a diddorol. Dros ei ddeuddydd, nid yn unig dysgu am sut mae dadleuon seneddol yn gweithio, ond roedd cymryd rhan yn ein fersiynau ein hunain ohonynt yn golygu fy mod yn cael llawer o hwyl; Gadewais yr hyfforddiant yn teimlo nid yn unig fy mod wedi gwella fy sgiliau wrth drafod, ond fy mod yn drist bod y ddau ddiwrnod drosodd. “
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