Learn for Life Lanka has entered into a partnership with Debate Mate, a globally reputed leader in transformative debating program.
The partnership began with a pilot program aimed at empowering 250 underprivileged students from low-income schools in Sri Lanka.
Around 60 teachers from schools and community centres also received specialised training. The initiative is designed to develop essential skills such as listening, speaking and thinking in students to help boost their confidence and prepare them for success in the future.
As part of this program, students and teachers from 18 schools in the Serendib Schools Development Foundation (SSDF), St. Anthony’s Balika, Dematagoda and selected trainers from the Foundation of Goodness participated in a training program at the Khairiya Muslim Girls’ College over a period of one week.
The program concluded with a competition where students showcased what they had learned. The overall goal of this initiative was to equip students with valuable skills and to inspire the wider communities to believe that anyone can learn these essential life skills.
The Debate Mate Team in charge of training students, teachers and facilitating the competition included Abby McGovern, Elissa Abbara, Sidharth Harigovind, Dale Connelan and Alia Chohan, who flew in from London.
The partnership between Learn for Life Lanka and Debate Mate was formed based on a shared vision to enrich the skills of local students. Debate Mate is an employability program that leverages debating to teach students essential skills.
The program has impacted over 65,000 young people around the world, and helps develop critical thinking, creativity, empathy, resilience, leadership, teamwork and confidence. Debate Mate’s training program will explore the possibility of spreading its global expertise further by training corporate employees in Sri Lanka as well.
Learn for Life Lanka, founded by Murtaza and Avanti Esufally, focuses on improving social and emotional (SEL) learning among local youth. The 30-hour program covers a variety of topics including Growth Mindset, Learning How to Learn, Financial Literacy, Positive Relationships, and Emotional Regulation. As crucial as these skills are for success, they are often neglected in traditional education systems. The partnership with Debate Mate is ideal as it combines Debate Mate’s proven methods with Learn for Life Lanka’s tailored curriculum.
Co-Founder of Learn for Life Lanka, Murtaza Esufally said, “We’ve had a great time working with Debate Mate through Learn for Life Lanka. We’re excited to see how their expertise in 21st-century skills, combined with our social-emotional learning programs, will empower our students and bridge the gap between education and future leadership.”
