We are thrilled to invite you to the 2025 Middle School Ethics Olympiad, an online event where 11–14-year-olds (at any point during 2025) can engage in structured, thought-provoking discussions on complex ethical issues. This competition is an excellent opportunity for students to sharpen their critical thinking, engage in meaningful dialogue, and explore diverse perspectives on challenging moral dilemmas.

We are the official qualifying event for the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad, meaning school-based teams can earn a spot in the International Final hosted in Australia!

Middle School Olympiad: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Time:
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (EST)
3:00 PM – 9:00 PM (BST – UK)
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM (CET – Europe)
11:00 PM – 5:00 AM on Nov 23 (CST – China Standard Time)

International Final: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (hosted in Australia)

Eligibility

• Open to any team from anywhere in the world, whether school-based or not.

• To qualify for the International Final, teams must be school-based.

• Students must be aged 11–14 at some point during 2025.

• Teams of 3–5 students.

Event Schedule (EST)
10:00 – 10:15 AM: Introduction
10:15 – 11:20 AM: Round 1 (includes feedback)
11:20 – 11:30 AM: Break
11:30 AM – 12:35 PM: Round 2 (includes feedback)
12:35 – 1:15 PM: Lunch Break
1:15 – 2:20 PM: Round 3 (includes feedback)
2:20 – 2:30 PM: Break
2:30 – 3:35 PM: Round 4 (includes feedback)
3:35 – 4:00 PM: Closing Remarks

Ethical Topics 
This year, teams will grapple with a wide range of thought-provoking ethical issues, including:
Case 1 – You Can Only Save One: Which Do You Choose?
Case 2 – Moniker Morality
Case 3 – Should Artists’ Ethics Affect Our Artistic Judgments?
Case 4 – Bullfighting
Case 5 – Relying on Civilian Intelligence in War
Case 6 – Locker Problems – Freaks and Geeks
Case 7 – Using AI in the Classroom
Case 8 – Tears of the Koroks

Registration Fees
Early Bird Fee: $180 USD per team (closes on October 1st)
Regular Fee: $225 USD per team (registration closes November 1st)
**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org**

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund?Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 50% refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within ten days of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, email info@tkethics.org! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

We are thrilled to invite you to the 2026 Senior High School Ethics Olympiad. An Ethics Olympiad is a competitive yet collaborative event in which students analyze and discuss real-life, timely, ethical issues. An Ethics Olympiad differs from debating in that students are not assigned opposing views; rather, they defend whatever position they believe is right and win by showing that they have thought more carefully, deeply, and perceptively about the cases in question. Experience shows that this type of event encourages and helps students develop intellectual virtues such as ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, civil discourse, civic engagement, and an appreciation for diverse points of view. 

We are the official qualifying event for the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad, meaning school-based teams can earn a spot in the International Final hosted in Australia!

Event date: Saturday, Mar 26, 2026

Eligibility

• Open to any team from anywhere in the world, either school-based or not.

• To qualify for the International Final, teams must be school-based.

• Students must be aged 14–18 at some point during 2025.

• Teams of 3–5 students.

Ethical Topics 
This year, teams will grapple with a wide range of thought-provoking ethical issues, including:

• Case 1 - Salacious Gossip
• Case 2 - Digital Afterlife Management: Who Speaks for the Dead?
• Case 3 - In-Vitro Meat
Case 4 - Redefining Humanity
• Case 5 - A Phenotypic Prometheus?
• Case 6 - Ode to a Scab
• Case 7 - A Monthly Subscription to Brutality
• Case 8 - Taking the Spot or Earning it? - University Scholarship

Registration Fees
Early Bird Fee: $180 USD per team (closes on Jan 26th, 2026)
Regular Fee: $225 USD per team (registration closes Feb 26th)
**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org**

You can download the complete case set at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-2LTvhCNVO0DGlAOaqr6H04lYhEx176f/view

We are thrilled to invite you to the 2026 Senior High School Ethics Olympiad. An Ethics Olympiad is a competitive yet collaborative event in which students analyze and discuss real-life, timely, ethical issues. An Ethics Olympiad differs from debating in that students are not assigned opposing views; rather, they defend whatever position they believe is right and win by showing that they have thought more carefully, deeply, and perceptively about the cases in question. Experience shows that this type of event encourages and helps students develop intellectual virtues such as ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, civil discourse, civic engagement, and an appreciation for diverse points of view. 

We are the official qualifying event for the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad, meaning school-based teams can earn a spot in the International Final hosted in Australia!

Event date: Saturday, April 4, 2026

Eligibility

• Open to any team from anywhere in the world, either school-based or not.

• To qualify for the International Final, teams must be school-based.

• Students must be aged 14–18 at some point during 2025.

• Teams of 3–5 students.

Ethical Topics 
This year, teams will grapple with a wide range of thought-provoking ethical issues, including:

• Case 1 - Salacious Gossip
• Case 2 - Digital Afterlife Management: Who Speaks for the Dead?
• Case 3 - In-Vitro Meat
Case 4 - Redefining Humanity
• Case 5 - A Phenotypic Prometheus?
• Case 6 - Ode to a Scab
• Case 7 - A Monthly Subscription to Brutality
• Case 8 - Taking the Spot or Earning it? - University Scholarship

Registration Fees
Early Bird Fee: $180 USD per team (closes on Feb 4th, 2026)
Regular Fee: $225 USD per team (registration closes Mar 4th)
**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org**

You can download the complete case set at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-2LTvhCNVO0DGlAOaqr6H04lYhEx176f/view

We are thrilled to invite you to the 2026 Senior High School Ethics Olympiad. An Ethics Olympiad is a competitive yet collaborative event in which students analyze and discuss real-life, timely, ethical issues. An Ethics Olympiad differs from debating in that students are not assigned opposing views; rather, they defend whatever position they believe is right and win by showing that they have thought more carefully, deeply, and perceptively about the cases in question. Experience shows that this type of event encourages and helps students develop intellectual virtues such as ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, civil discourse, civic engagement, and an appreciation for diverse points of view. 

We are the official qualifying event for the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad, meaning school-based teams can earn a spot in the International Final hosted in Australia!

Event date: Saturday, April 11, 2026

Eligibility

• Open to any team from anywhere in the world, either school-based or not.

• To qualify for the International Final, teams must be school-based.

• Students must be aged 14–18 at some point during 2025.

• Teams of 3–5 students.

Ethical Topics 
This year, teams will grapple with a wide range of thought-provoking ethical issues, including:

• Case 1 - Salacious Gossip
• Case 2 - Digital Afterlife Management: Who Speaks for the Dead?
• Case 3 - In-Vitro Meat
Case 4 - Redefining Humanity
• Case 5 - A Phenotypic Prometheus?
• Case 6 - Ode to a Scab
• Case 7 - A Monthly Subscription to Brutality
• Case 8 - Taking the Spot or Earning it? - University Scholarship

Registration Fees
Early Bird Fee: $180 USD per team (closes on Feb 11th, 2026)
Regular Fee: $225 USD per team (registration closes Mar 11th)
**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org**

You can download the complete case set at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-2LTvhCNVO0DGlAOaqr6H04lYhEx176f/view

Get ready to explore the ethical frontiers of technology and deepen your philosophical thinking alongside peers from around the globe!

2025 TKEthics Fall Invitational – Key Dates:

• October 8 (11:59 PM EST): Final Registration Deadline

• November 8: Live Invitational – Event Day

• Registration Fees (regular): $225 USD per team (3-5 members each team)

• Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org

Tournament Cases 

• FTX’s Charitable Donations 

• Orphan Drugs

• AI Detection Software in Education

• AI Law firm

• Mars Colonization

• No platforming: (from the Ethics Cup case set 2026)

• AI friendship

• Rhinoplasty and Ethnic Heritage ((from the Ethics Cup case set 2026)

Event Schedule (EST US and Canada)

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund?Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

Further updates will be shared as they become available — stay tuned and sign up for early bird access!

Invitation

Get ready to explore the ethical frontiers of technology and deepen your philosophical thinking alongside peers from around the globe!

2026 TKEthics Spring Invitational – Key Dates (tentative):

• Jan 28 (11:59 PM EST): Final Registration Deadline

• Feb 28 (6:00PM EST): Live Invitational – Event Day

• Registration Fees (regular): $225 USD per team (3-5 members each team). 

• Early Bird Discount 20% off, valid till Dec 28, 2025

Event Schedule (EST US and Canada)

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund: Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

Further updates will be shared as they become available — stay tuned and sign up for early bird access!

Qualified Teams Only

The 2026 TKEthics International Grand Final is an online event where the top qualifying teams from the TKEthics Spring and Fall Invitationals, as well as finalists from the Global AI Debates, will engage in structured, thought-provoking discussions on complex ethical issues related to High tech and AI.

This is the ultimate opportunity for students to showcase their ethical reasoning, engage in high-level discourse, and compete for the title of TKEthics International Grand Final Champion!

Ethical Cases & Information Kits

Once registration is confirmed, ethical cases will be provided.

Judging Panel

Judges are experienced debate coaches and experts holding degrees in philosophy. They will provide professional evaluations and feedback on your team’s performance.

Event Schedule (EST) ?Tentative?

6:00–6:10 PM — Introduction

6:10–7:30 PM — Round 1 (includes feedback)

7:30–7:40 PM — Break

7:40–9:00 PM — Round 2 (includes feedback)

9:00–9:20 PM — Dinner Break

9:20–10:40 PM — Round 3 (includes feedback)

10:40–10:50 PM — Break

10:50–12:10 AM — Round 4 (includes feedback)

12:10–12:15 AM — Closing Remarks

Registration Deadline for Qualified Teams: July 29, 2025; Early bird offer ends after Jun 29, 2025.

Team Formation Guidelines

• 3~5 members per team

• Teams that have qualified for the grand final may choose to maintain their original team composition or reorganize into new teams. However, any new team must include at least two qualified players.

• The team is considered a high school team if anyone in the team is high school student.

Registration Fees

• Early Bird Registration: US$180 (teams of 3-5) 

• Regular Registration: US$225 (teams of 3-5?

The Global AI Debates is a prestigious debate and essay competition judged by experts from Microsoft, MIT, OpenAI, Perplexity, and UCLA, UC Berkeley. For Fall 2025, we’re streamlining the structure to focus on depth and quality. There will be three divisions — High school (Senior), middle school (Junior), and primary school (Beginner). In the middle and high school categories, there will be a speech event and an essay + debate event, in the primary category there will only be a speech event. 

Topics for Primary (ages 7 to 10) Speech: AI-enabled toys are good for kids (5 minute speech)

(See Event Invitation)

Key Details

• Team formation: Solo Speech Track, 1 member per team

• Scheduling: Please refer to the timeline below.

• Judges: Experts from leading universities and AI research institutions

• Certificates: Provided by: Berkeley University Debate Society, DebateUS!, MPI, and TKE.

Speech Competition:

Round I:
November 1st, 2025 — Videos of Speeches Due [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 14th, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 20% of submissions in each category advance:

Round II:
November 21, 2025: Submit the same speech, or a new speech  [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 28, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 5 submissions in each category advance:

Round III:
Finals — December 7, 2025 @ 8 a.m. Eastern time
Live speeches in front of a panel

** Explore our competitive pricing tiers and take advantage of exclusive early bird discounts by registering early. Don’t miss your chance to save!**

• Teams submitting 10 or more entries: $100 USD per entry

• Teams submitting fewer than 10 entries: $150 USD per entry

Early Bird Discounts 

The Global AI Debates is a prestigious debate and essay competition judged by experts from MIT, UCLA, Microsoft, Perplexity, OpenAI, and UC Berkeley. For Fall 2025, we’re streamlining the structure to focus on depth and quality. There will be three divisions — High school (Senior), middle school (Junior), and primary school (Beginner). In the middle and high school categories, there will be a speech event and an essay + debate event, in the primary category there will only be a speech event. 

Topics for Junior Essay+Debate (age 11 to 13): Governments should deploy AI instructors as a free public educational resource. (1,200 words)

*Note on word count: any citations/bibliography don’t count toward the word count total, essays exceeding the word count will not be considered!

Essay + Debate Schedule

Round I
November 1st, 2025 — Initial Essays Due
November 7th, 2025 — Break Announced
32 entries advance: the top 16 Pro & 16 Con essays from each division

Round II
Breakers write one rebuttal essay to an opposing side
November 14th, 2025 — Rebuttals Due
November 21st, 2025 — Break Announced
16 entries advance: the top 8 Pro & 8 Con essays from each division

Round III
Finals — December 7, 2025 (Zoom)
8:00 AM ET — Octofinals
9:30 AM ET — Quarterfinals
11:00 AM ET — Semifinals
12:30 PM ET — Finals

Key Details

• Debate Rounds: Octofinals, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals

• Scheduling: Please refer to the tournament invitation above.

• Judges: Experts from leading universities and AI research institutions

• Certificates: Provided by: Berkeley University Debate Society, DebateUS!, MPI, and TKE.

Team Formation

• Age Guidelines: Younger students are allowed to compete in the older category if they choose, but older students may not compete in the younger division.

• Debate Teams: 2 members per team

• Writing Track: Minimum 2 members per team

 (See Event Invitation)

** Explore our competitive pricing tiers and take advantage of exclusive early bird discounts by registering early. Don’t miss your chance to save!**

• Teams submitting 10 or more entries: $100 USD per entry

• Teams submitting fewer than 10 entries: $150 USD per entry

Early Bird Discounts 

July 1- July 31: 20% discount on all registration

August 1- August 31: 15% discount on all registration

September 1 - September 20: 10% discount on all registration

**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org.**

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund: Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

The Global AI Debates is a prestigious debate and essay competition judged by experts from Microsoft, MIT, OpenAI, Perplexity, and UCLA, UC Berkeley. For Fall 2025, we’re streamlining the structure to focus on depth and quality. There will be three divisions — High school (Senior), middle school (Junior), and primary school (Beginner). In the middle and high school categories, there will be a speech event and an essay + debate event, in the primary category there will only be a speech event. 

Topics for Junior (ages 11 to 13) Speech: Governments should deploy AI instructors as a free public educational resource. (7 minute speech)

(See Event Invitation)

Key Details

• Team formation: Solo Speech Track, 1 member per team

• Scheduling: Please refer to the timeline below.

• Judges: Experts from leading universities and AI research institutions

• Certificates: Provided by: Berkeley University Debate Society, DebateUS!, MPI, and TKE.

Speech Competition:

Round I:
November 1st, 2025 — Videos of Speeches Due [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 14th, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 20% of submissions in each category advance:

Round II:
November 21, 2025: Submit the same speech, or a new speech  [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 28, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 5 submissions in each category advance:

Round III:
Finals — December 7, 2025 @ 8 a.m. Eastern time
Live speeches in front of a panel

** Explore our competitive pricing tiers and take advantage of exclusive early bird discounts by registering early. Don’t miss your chance to save!**

• Teams submitting 10 or more entries: $100 USD per entry

• Teams submitting fewer than 10 entries: $150 USD per entry

Early Bird Discounts 

July 1- July 31: 20% discount on all registration

August 1- August 31: 15% discount on all registration

September 1 - September 20: 10% discount on all registration

**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org.**

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund: Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

The Global AI Debates is a prestigious debate and essay competition judged by experts from MIT, UCLA, Microsoft, Perplexity, OpenAI, and UC Berkeley. For Fall 2025, we’re streamlining the structure to focus on depth and quality. There will be three divisions — High school (Senior), middle school (Junior), and primary school (Beginner). In the middle and high school categories, there will be a speech event and an essay + debate event, in the primary category there will only be a speech event. 

Topics for Senior Essay+Debate (age 14 to 18): Human-AI relationships will be a force for good. (2,000 words)

*Note on word count: any citations/bibliography don’t count toward the word count total, essays exceeding the word count will not be considered!

Essay + Debate Schedule

Round I
November 1st, 2025 — Initial Essays Due
November 7th, 2025 — Break Announced
32 entries advance: the top 16 Pro & 16 Con essays from each division

Round II
Breakers write one rebuttal essay to an opposing side
November 14th, 2025 — Rebuttals Due
November 21st, 2025 — Break Announced
16 entries advance: the top 8 Pro & 8 Con essays from each division

Round III
Finals — December 7, 2025 (Zoom)
8:00 AM ET — Octofinals
9:30 AM ET — Quarterfinals
11:00 AM ET — Semifinals
12:30 PM ET — Finals

Key Details

• Debate Rounds: Octofinals, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals

• Scheduling: Please refer to the tournament invitation above.

• Judges: Experts from leading universities and AI research institutions

• Certificates: Provided by: Berkeley University Debate Society, DebateUS!, MPI, and TKE.

Team Formation

• Age Guidelines: Younger students are allowed to compete in the older category if they choose, but older students may not compete in the younger division.

• Debate Teams: 2 members per team

• Writing Track: Minimum 2 members per team

 (See Event Invitation)

** Explore our competitive pricing tiers and take advantage of exclusive early bird discounts by registering early. Don’t miss your chance to save!**

• Teams submitting 10 or more entries: $100 USD per entry

• Teams submitting fewer than 10 entries: $150 USD per entry

Early Bird Discounts 

July 1- July 31: 20% discount on all registration

August 1- August 31: 15% discount on all registration

September 1 - September 20: 10% discount on all registration

**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org.**

Refund Policy

 Full refund: Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.

The Global AI Debates is a prestigious debate and essay competition judged by experts from Microsoft, MIT, OpenAI, Perplexity, and UCLA, UC Berkeley. For Fall 2025, we’re streamlining the structure to focus on depth and quality. There will be three divisions — High school (Senior), middle school (Junior), and primary school (Beginner). In the middle and high school categories, there will be a speech event and an essay + debate event, in the primary category there will only be a speech event. 

Topics for Senior (ages 14 to 18) Speech: Human-AI relationships will be a force for good. (7 minute speech)

(See Event Invitation)

Key Details

• Team formation: Solo Speech Track, 1 member per team

• Scheduling: Please refer to the timeline below.

• Judges: Experts from leading universities and AI research institutions

• Certificates: Provided by: Berkeley University Debate Society, DebateUS!, MPI, and TKE.

Speech Competition:

Round I:
November 1st, 2025 — Videos of Speeches Due [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 14th, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 20% of submissions in each category advance:

Round II:
November 21, 2025: Submit the same speech, or a new speech  [All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time)]
November 28, 2025 — Break Announced
Top 5 submissions in each category advance:

Round III:
Finals — December 7, 2025 @ 8 a.m. Eastern time
Live speeches in front of a panel

** Explore our competitive pricing tiers and take advantage of exclusive early bird discounts by registering early. Don’t miss your chance to save!**

• Teams submitting 10 or more entries: $100 USD per entry

• Teams submitting fewer than 10 entries: $150 USD per entry

Early Bird Discounts 

July 1- July 31: 20% discount on all registration

August 1- August 31: 15% discount on all registration

September 1 - September 20: 10% discount on all registration

**Additional fees apply for PayPal/credit card payments. To avoid them, pay via Zelle to info@tkethics.org.**

Refund Policy (Minus any transaction fees)

 Full refund: Cancellations made before the registration deadline are eligible for a full refund.  
 Patial refund: Cancellations made up to ten days before the competition date are eligible for a 50% refund.
 No refund: Cancellations made within one week of the competition are not eligible for a refund.

To cancel, send email to info@tkethics.org please! The date we receive your email is the official cancellation date. If we reschedule or cancel the event, you can choose a full refund or transfer to the new date.