Claremont McKenna College and the Claremont Colleges Debate Union, through its Civics in Action leadership and professional communication outreach program, are pleased to announce the Conference on Nuclear Politics, showcasing the research and innovative argumentation of high school students. US and international high school students are eligible to submit proposals to present at the conference, Saturday-Sunday, February 20-21, 2016.

Conference mission

The mission of the conference is to (1) stimulate informed deliberation, discussion, and debate about nuclear weapon and nuclear energy issues, (2) provide an opportunity for student leadership networking, and (3) offer secondary school students professional communication skills training and practice. The conference includes 2 keynote addresses on nuclear issues, receptions and panel presentations for student interaction, and a keynote address on public speaking and workshops on improving professional communication practice.

High school student participation

Students may propose a conference paper, a paper coordinated with other student presenters for a discussion panel (organized by students and submitted as a group presentation of 3-4 participants or submitted as an individual presenter and coordinated by the conference staff), or a paper with accompanying multimedia slides (PowerPoint/Prezi). A student may submit a paper for any single category (paper, discussion, or multimedia presentation) or for multiple categories (either conference paper and discussion group or conference paper and multimedia presentation). Students may submit up to a total of 2 papers.

Students may participate without submitting a paper, although they are not eligible for all awards. A student may request to participate in a panel discussion or make a multimedia presentation (e.g., PowerPoint or Prezi presentation). A student would submit a title for the presentation and a 100-125 word abstract. The title and description of the subject matter should be included in the registration email.

Awards

The conference will award top three honors in each of the following categories:

• Top Paper
• Top Oral Presentation (Individual Speech)
• Top Oral Presentation (Roundtable Discussion)
• Top Multimedia Presentation

Events 

Presentations are open to conference attendees. Receptions, conference meals, special events, and the closing session are open only to registered high school students. Presenters are encouraged to attend all of the conference keynote addresses, presentation sessions, and workshops.