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Mission and History

 

Mission and History

 

   Mission Statement

 

The National High School Ethics Bowl promotes respectful, supportive, and in-depth discussion of ethics among high school students nationwide. By engaging high school students in intensive ethical inquiry, the NHSEB fosters constructive dialogue and furthers the next generation’s ability to make sound ethical decisions. Our collaborative model rewards students for the depth of their thought, their ability to think carefully and analytically about complex issues, and the respect they show to the diverse perspectives of their peers. As a result, it enables students to practice and build the virtues central to democratic citizenship, thus preparing them to navigate challenging moral issues in a rigorous, systematic, and open-minded way.

 

A Brief History of the National High School Ethics Bowl

The National High School Ethics Bowl was founded in 2012 as the product of a partnership between the Squire Family Foundation and the Parr Center for Ethics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with generous support from GlaxoSmithKline. 

In its inaugural year, it served around 1,000 students from 89 schools in 11 states. 12 regional competitions sent their victors to the inaugural national competition, held on the UNC-CH campus in 2013. This initial event was modeled on the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB), and we are indebted to their sponsor, the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and to the IEB’s creator Dr. Robert Ladenson, for their example, inspiration, and assistance.

The NHSEB’s aims and ideals at the time of its founding were essentially three-fold: (1) to take seriously the contribution that teenagers make as members of their communities, (2) to cultivate skills and virtues central to democratic citizenship, and (3) to prepare students to navigate challenging moral issues in a thoughtful and open-minded way. All of these goals remain our lodestar, and comprise our mission statement today. 

Since its founding, the National High School Ethics Bowl has grown at a steady clip with the support of the UNC Philosophy Department and other partners and sponsors. As of 2021, the NHSEB serves nearly 4,000 students from over 500 teams, which represent 335 schools, nationally. Our headquarters at the Parr Center oversees 44 regionals in 34 states today, and directly administers the largest of those, the North Carolina High School Ethics Bowl.

 

 

 

Award Winners

April 8-10, 2022

  1. Princeton High School (NJ)
  2. University High School (CA)
  3. UWC-USA (NM)
  4. Kent Place School (NJ)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams will each receive a monetary prize.

The Robert Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award was awarded to Clearwater Central Catholic High School (FL).

The 2022 Judges’ Choice Award for highest cumulative preliminary Q&A score was jointly awarded to the Academy for Classical Christian Studies (OK) and Bethpage High School (NY).

The 2022 NHSEB Awards Ceremony is viewable here.

April 9-11, 2021: Administered Virtually via NHSEBOne

  1. University High School (CA)
  2. Kent Place School (NJ)
  3. Hackley School (NY)
  4. Oxbridge Academy (FL)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams will each receive a monetary prize.

The Robert Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award was awarded to The Academy at Palumbo (PA).

The 2021 NHSEB Awards Ceremony is viewable here.

The 2020 NHSEB was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Finalist Schools (Recognized at 2020 NHSEBOnline Summit)

Ames High School (Iowa)

Ann Arbor Greenhills School (Michigan)

Atlantic Community High School (Florida)

Cary Academy (North Carolina)

Conestoga High School (Pennsylvania)

Cypress Charter School (California)

Decatur High School (Georgia)

Dove Science Academy (Oklahoma)

Hilliard Davidson High School (Ohio)

Lincoln High School (Oregon)

Lincoln School (Rhode Island)

Little Rock Central High School (Arkansas)

Marion High School (Illinois)

Medford High School (Massachusetts)

Peak to Peak High School (Colorado)

Rockbridge High School (Missouri)

School Without Walls (Washington, D.C.)

St. Andrew’s – Sewanee School (Tennessee)

Stanton College Prep High School (Florida)

Stony Brook School (New York)

The Hackley School (New York)

The Masterman School (Pennsylvania)

Walter Payton High School (Illinois)

Westwood High School (Texas)

 

April 6-7, 2019: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  1. Jesuit High School (OR)
  2. Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)
  3. St. Petersburg High School (FL)
  4. Colorado Academy (CO)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams will each receive a monetary prize.

The Bob Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award was a tie between two teams: Decatur High School (GA) and Benjamin Banneker Academic High School (DC) shared the honor.

 

April 21-22, 2018: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  1. Kent Place School (NJ)
  2. Stanford Online High School (CA)
  3. Glendora High School (CA)
  4. Maryville High School (TN)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams will each receive a monetary prize

The Bob Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award was a tie between three teams: Gregorio Luperon High School, from New York, NY, Herron High School from Indianapolis, IN, and Tatum High School, from Tatum, TX shared the honor.

April 8-9, 2017: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  1. North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics (NC)
  2. Oregon Episcopal School (OR)
  3. Kent Place School (NJ)
  4. Herron High School (IN)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams will each receive a monetary prize

The Bob Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award: Wayne Memorial High School (MI)

April 15-16, 2016: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  1. East Chapel Hill High School (NC)
  2. Harvard-Westlake High School (CA)
  3. David H. Hickman High School (MO)
  4. Greenhills High School (MI)

Thanks to the generosity of the Marc Sanders Foundation, these four teams each received a monetary prize

The Bob Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award: Herron High School (IN)

April 9-11, 2015: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  1. Waterford High School (UT)
  2. Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
  3. Areté Preparatory Academy (CA)
  4. Newport High School (WA)

Bob Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award: Kirby School (CA)

April 4-5, 2014: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School

  1. East Chapel Hill High School (NC)
  2. Jericho High School (NY)
  3. Hickman High School (MO)
  4. Cherry Hill High School East (PA)

April 19-20, 2013: Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center, Durham, NC

  1. St. Petersburg High School (FL)
  2. East Chapel Hill High School (NC)
  3. Triangle Homeschool (NC)
  4. Farmingdale High School (NY)