Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School was recognized in late November as a "Sweet 16" school, and in early January as an "Elite 8" school for the 2005 - 2006 National Public Policy Forum (NPPF), the only national contest that gives high school students across the nation the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. The school advanced to the elimination rounds after it submitted a qualifying round essay that was judged to be one of the best in the nation.

Approximately 40 high schools and 250 students (representing 20 states) participated in the contest, submitting essays on the topic, "Resolved:  The United States federal government should substantially limit its ability to detain individuals without charge." As one of the top 16 schools, Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School will now compete in a written debate against Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, S.C., as the two schools volley debates back and forth on this public policy issue. A panel of judges will review the papers in the order they are presented and vote for the winning school. The winner will advance to the next round to face another school. This format continues for several rounds until there are four teams remaining.

"Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School did an extraordinary job in the qualifying round of the competition," said William A. Brewer, III, partner at the law firm of Bickel & Brewer and co-founder of The Bickel & Brewer Foundation. "The school now advances to what we think is one of the most challenging and rewarding debate formats in the nation - a single-elimination tournament involving 16 schools from around the country."

Adam Jacobi is the debate coach. Local students participating in the tournament are Amjad Asad, Asad Asad and Eva Lam.

The top four schools receive an all-expense-paid trip to the April 21-23, 2006, finals at New York University. Finalists are honored during a special banquet and awards ceremony, and their schools will receive cash prizes of up to $5,000. The NPPF was founded by The Bickel & Brewer Foundation in 2001, and is now jointly administered with New York University. The program is available to all high schools nationwide - public and private - for free. Since its inception, the NPPF has awarded more than $200,000 in support of forensic activities at the secondary school and collegiate level.

The Bickel & Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Bickel & Brewer. With offices in Dallas and New York, the Foundation has achieved widespread recognition for its efforts to create, fund and manage a variety of educational outreach programs.  The contest is co-sponsored by New York University.