Debate Club
Welcome to the DSCLT Debate Club!
Big Voices. Bold Ideas. Remarkable Achievements.
At the Deutsche Schule Charlotte (DSCLT), we believe that learning German is about much more than vocabulary and grammar. It is about giving our students the confidence to think critically, express themselves clearly, defend their ideas respectfully, and engage with the German language at the highest possible level.
Our Debate Club is one of the best examples of what our students can accomplish.
The program is led by Juliane Hofmann, PhD, DSD 1 teacher at Deutsche Schule Charlotte, whose dedication, expertise, and high expectations have had a tremendous influence on our students. Dr. Hofmann has helped create an environment in which young German learners are challenged to move beyond simply speaking the language and learn to think, reason, persuade, listen, and debate in German.
And the results speak for themselves: A Small Saturday School Competing on a Very Big Stage
DSCLT is a Saturday language school. Our students do not attend German-language classes five days a week, and they do not have the classroom hours available to students attending full-time German international schools.
What we do have is an extraordinary faculty, dedicated families, motivated students, and a belief that the number of classroom hours does not have to determine how far a student can go.
That philosophy has taken our students all the way to the North American Final of Jugend debattiert in San Francisco, California.
More than 60 students from schools across the United States, Canada, and Mexico participated in the Jugend debattiert program and regional competitions. Only 16 students ultimately qualified for the North American Final — and two of them came from Deutsche Schule Charlotte.
- Isabella Stiefel qualified for the North American Final during her very first year participating in the regional finals — an outstanding accomplishment.
- Maya Kodali qualified for the North American Final for the second consecutive year and went on to finish 4th in North America.
Maya's achievement was particularly remarkable: she was the only non-native/non-heritage German speaker and the only student from a German Saturday school among the final four. Her fellow finalists were native or heritage German speakers attending full-time German international schools in the United States and pursuing the German Abitur.
For a student from a small Saturday language school in Charlotte to stand alongside them on the final debate stage is something our entire school community can celebrate.
More Than Individual Achievement — A Team
Success in debate is never created by one person alone.
Our Senior Debate Team worked together to research, challenge, question, and prepare our finalists for topics including social-service requirements for young people, limiting access to heavily visited tourist destinations, and the complete prohibition of single-use plastics.
A special thank-you goes to Hunter, Malcolm, Norton, Ersin, Oswin, Yunah, Caroline, Michaela, Anna, and Valeria, whose teamwork and commitment made them exceptional debate partners.
That collaborative spirit is at the heart of DSCLT.
Starting Young. Thinking Big.
DSCLT is proud to offer something truly special: a year-round Debate Club beginning in Grade 3, running from September through May.
Students learn that successful debate is not about speaking the loudest or simply proving someone else wrong. They learn to research an issue, understand different perspectives, construct an argument, listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and communicate their ideas with confidence — all while strengthening their German.
These are skills that extend far beyond the German classroom.
They prepare our students for high school, college, careers, leadership, and participation in an increasingly interconnected world.
At Deutsche Schule Charlotte, we may have fewer classroom hours than the large full-time German schools against which our students compete.
But small does not mean limited.
With outstanding teachers, determined students, supportive families, and a community that believes in them, our students continue to demonstrate just how far a Saturday school can go.
Willkommen im Debate Club der Deutschen Schule Charlotte — where small-school opportunity develops big voices.
Past Special Events:
