Brewer Foundation Announces Attorney and Community Advocate Ian Shaw as President
February 24, 2025 – The Brewer Foundation today announced attorney and community advocate Ian Shaw as its president. Mr. Shaw will have oversight of all aspects of the 501(c)3 Brewer Foundation, the charitable affiliate of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. Mr. Shaw was most recently with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C, where he practiced commercial litigation, labor employment, and personal injury defense.
Today’s announcement marks Mr. Shaw's return to the Brewer team. He previously worked in the consulting group in the firm’s New York office and was an associate in the firm’s Dallas office.
“Ian is a committed community advocate and trusted leader – with a background in team leadership, public service, and educational issues,” says William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Brewer Foundation. “His role as president of the Brewer Foundation represents the growth of the Foundation and its programs, and the need to invest more in managing them for the future.”
Founded in 1995, the Brewer Foundation supports a range of community initiatives, with a special emphasis on developing, overseeing, and funding a growing array of educational programs. Among these are the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP) and Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF).
The FLP is an academic and leadership development program that benefits more than 200 students, ages 12 to 18, from urban communities within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). Through year-round academic courses, leadership training, and exposure to a wide array of cultural programs, the FLP helps prepare its “future leaders” for success in college and beyond.
Since its inception in 2001, the FLP has graduated hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to be first-or second-generation college students. FLP graduates have earned more than $20 million in scholarship offers. Seven FLP students have been named QuestBridge Scholars, and three have been named Gates Scholars – some of the nation’s most prestigious scholarships. The program has been recognized by the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Governor’s Office.
“I am excited to join the Brewer Foundation and help build the FLP’s blueprint for the future,” Shaw says. “We are eager to explore new partnerships, continually improve our academic offerings, and help these students realize their visions for success. The program is a testament to the power of education and the belief that every student deserves equal opportunity.”
The IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students around the globe the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. Thousands of students participate each year. During the 2024-25 competition, 283 teams representing schools in 26 countries and 30 U.S. states submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the contest topic. Now in its 24th year, the IPPF will host the “IPPF Finals” in May at the Harold Pratt House in New York City.
Over its history, the Foundation has contributed more than $25 million to more than 60 charities in areas such as medicine, the arts, and human rights. All the firm’s professionals are given the opportunity to support the Foundation – and its impact on future generations.
Mr. Shaw will also contribute to the Brewer Storefront, the firm’s community service legal affiliate. Founded in 1995, the Storefront tackles local and national issues, providing legal assistance to a wide range of individuals, businesses, and community entities in need. The Storefront is currently handling several Voting Rights Act cases in North Texas – advocating for voting equality and giving a voice to minority communities.
Outside of his professional duties with the Brewer Foundation and Storefront, Mr. Shaw is a member of the Dallas Bar Association of Young Lawyers, JL Turner Association, Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Council. He is currently in the middle of a term with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, as appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
International Public Policy Forum Announces Advancing “Sweet 16” Teams
February 24, 2025 – The Brewer Foundation and New York University recently announced the advancing "Sweet 16" teams competing in the 2024-25 International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) — the first and only debate contest that gives high school students the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
By advancing into the "Sweet 16" round, the teams remain eligible to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City, where the IPPF World Champion will be awarded a $10,000 grand prize. The 2024 – 25 IPPF topic resolution is: “Resolved: Equitable access to pharmaceuticals should be prioritized over protecting intellectual property rights.”
"These teams dedicated months to analyzing a complex public policy issue and crafting written advocacy on both sides of the question," says William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Brewer Foundation and founder of the IPPF. "The upcoming round is pivotal, as it decides which teams earn the opportunity to travel to New York and face off in the ultimate test of oral advocacy.”
The advancing teams are:
AfterSkool Learning Centre from Singapore, Singapore
Akademeia High School from Warsaw, Poland
Alpha Co from La Crescenta, California
Alpharetta High School from Alpharetta, Georgia
Blue Valley High School from Stilwell, Kansas
Carroll Senior High School from Southlake, Texas
duPont Manual High School from Louisville, Kentucky
Ethos Academy from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Kealakehe Public High School from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
North Allegheny Senior High School from Wexford, Pennsylvania
Peak to Peak Charter School from Lafayette, Colorado
Rowland Hall from Salt Lake City, Utah
Slovak Debate Association from Bratislava, Slovakia
The Westminster Schools from Atlanta, Georgia
Westwood High School from Austin, Texas
William Mason High School from Mason, Ohio
The IPPF's 24th annual contest began in October 2024, when 283 teams representing schools in 26 countries submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the IPPF topic. A committee reviewed those essays and determined the “Round of 64” teams based on the overall quality of each 3,000-word essay.
In November, the “Round of 64” teams began a single-elimination, written debate tournament. Each team was assigned a position (affirmative or negative) and then volleyed papers back and forth with another team via email. A panel of judges reviewed the essays in the order they were presented and selected the advancing 32 teams, who then engaged in another round of debates against new opponents.
The "Sweet 16" round is now underway and will conclude in late March with the announcement of the advancing final eight teams. To learn more about the IPPF, click here.
Brewer Foundation Intervenes in Travis County Demanding Greater Accountability and Transparency for Public Schools
September 5, 2024, Dallas, Texas… The Brewer Foundation on September 5, 2024, filed a petition in intervention (“petition”) on behalf of its Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (“FLP”), seeking the release of the Texas Education Agency (“TEA”) 2024 A-F accountability ratings for school districts and campuses.
On August 12, 2024, a Travis County judge blocked the scheduled release of the school ratings with a temporary restraining order after five school districts (located across West and South Texas) sued Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath in Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District, et al., v. Mike Morath.
The Foundation is represented by the Brewer Storefront – the community service affiliate of the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. The petition seeks to dissolve the temporary restraining and prevent a permanent injunction – paving the way for greater accountability in these school districts across Texas.
The FLP is an award-winning public-private partnership that provides academic resources and leadership training to economically disadvantaged students in the Dallas Independent School District. The program maintains relationships with educators across the state, has been recognized by the Texas State Board of Education and Texas Governor’s Office, and advocates for improved educational offerings in Texas and beyond.
“The plaintiff districts are attempting to prevent the release of grades that help educators and parents better understand how their local public schools are performing and how well they are educating children,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Storefront and founder of the FLP. “We support the call for greater transparency. As we know from our work with FLP students, identifying the opportunities to improve the educational system is the key to addressing educational performance – to the benefit of children and our collective futures.”
According to the petition, only about 53% of students in Texas meet grade level in English language arts and reading, and around 23% of students across all districts in Texas are not even approaching grade level. These numbers are even more drastic when Black and Hispanic student scores are isolated. Across the State, more than 59% of Black students and 54% of Hispanic students fail to read at grade level.
According to the TEA, the ratings are based on three domains: student achievement, school progress, and closing the gaps.
The Storefront has brought numerous successful Section 2 Voting Rights Act cases on behalf of Hispanic and Black voters in Texas, in efforts to ensure that the interests of minority voters – and children – are better represented on elected school boards. The Storefront’s Texas Voting Rights Initiative (TVRI) was founded due to concerns that a lack of diversity and equitable geographic representation on school boards can lead to underfunded schools, school and student achievement gaps, and disenfranchised voters.
Founded in 2001, the FLP is an academic and leadership development program that benefits Dallas Independent School District (DISD) students, ages 12-18, and provides them with year-round academic coursework and leadership training to prepare students for success in college and beyond. The FLP has become a national model to address the “dropout epidemic.”
The petition adds that the Brewer Foundation has a “vested interest” in the availability of the A-F performance ratings so the students in the FLP program and their parents can make “informed school decisions.”
The petition observes that the five plaintiff school districts face considerable challenges with student achievement:
Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District in West Texas in 2022-23 enrolled 2,776 students, of whom about 72% were economically disadvantaged and 91% were Hispanic. In 2023, 66% of students did not meet grade level.
Crandall Independent School District outside of Dallas in 2022-23 enrolled 6,003 students of whom about 62% were economically disadvantaged, about 40% were Hispanic, 31% were white and 25% were Black. In 2023, about 60% of students did not meet grade level.
Forney Independent School District outside of Dallas in 2022-23 enrolled 16,211 students, of whom about 43% were economically disadvantaged, 36% of students were Black and 29% were Hispanic. In 2023, about 51% of students did not meet grade level.
Fort Stockton Independent School District in West Texas in 2022-23 enrolled 2,187 students, of whom about 71% were economically disadvantaged and 89% were Hispanic. In 2023, about 65% of students did not meet grade level.
Kingsville Independent School District in South Texas in 2022-23 enrolled 2,694 students, of whom about 83% were economically disadvantaged and 85% were Hispanic. In 2023, about 73% of students did not meet grade level.
The petition seeks dissolution of the temporary restraining order – and denial of plaintiffs’ request for a permanent injunction prohibiting the issuance of accountability ratings for the 2023-24 school year.
The Dallas Morning News Reports on Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP)
June 14, 2024 – The Dallas Morning News reports on the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP) holding a session on mental health for FLP high school students participating in the program’s summer camp.
Founded in 2001, the Future Leaders Program (FLP) provides academic resources and leadership training to deserving students from the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).
Instructor Mayra Salinas-Godsey, an FLP graduate who now works at New York University, taught the class, “Rise & Thrive: Building Mental Strength for College Success and Beyond.” The course is intended to assist students with anxiety about applying for and transitioning to college.
“So like most of you, I know, are first-gen or second-gen,” Salinas-Godsey told the students. “We’re pioneers for our family. We are doing things that they may not have ever experienced before. It’s a little scary.”
FLP intern and graduate Erica Salazar, now a student at Northwestern University, said she advises her peers to give themselves grace.
“I know a lot of these students are top A students, like the top of their class, and they’re doing the best that they can do … but once you’re in college, it’s completely different,” Salazar said. “And if you’re doing your best and you still somehow end up stumbling across a small obstacle, it’s OK. It’s OK to feel stress, and it’s OK not to be OK. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Read more here.
Westwood High School Students Crowned Champion of International Public Policy Forum Debate Contest
May 5, 2024 – New York – A team of students from Westwood High School of Austin, Texas, bested a field of high schools from around the globe Saturday, winning the 23rd Annual Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate competition and a $10,000 grand prize. The final debate was held at The Harold Pratt House in New York City.
The teams that competed in the IPPF Finals on Saturday, May 4, were the final “Elite Eight” teams to emerge from a field of 311 teams. The IPPF’s 23rd annual competition began in October 2023, as teams representing schools in 26 countries and 33 U.S. states submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the IPPF topic, “Resolved: Governments should provide a universal basic income.”
As the new IPPF World Champion, the Westwood team receives a $10,000 grand prize ($5,000 for the school’s debate program and $5,000 in individual scholarships). The team was coached by Dominic Henderson, and the team members were Ethan Andrew, Pranav Balakrishnan, Eric Gong, Ayush Deo Tripathi, and Eric Zhu.
“These students were, in a word, outstanding,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer Foundation and a founder of the IPPF. “They demonstrated a command of the subject matter and unparalleled advocacy skills – earning the title of IPPF World Champion.”
In New York, Westwood advanced over Damien Memorial School from Honolulu, Hawaii, in the quarterfinal round and Davidson Academy of Nevada from Reno, Nevada, in the semifinal round, before facing Ivy Bridge Academy from Johns Creek, Georgia, in the finals.
The runner-up team, Ivy Bridge Academy, receives a $5,000 prize. Coached by Dr. Michael Hester, the team members were Aanya Baddela, Alyssa Chen, Saanvi Kadiyala, Sanjana Kadiyala, Rajveer Nadkar, Ethan Nam, Claire Park, Sneha Ramineni, Rikhil Ranjit, Tessica Selvaganesan, Saanvi Sinha, Rithwik Tamilselvan, Olivia Tye, and Gene Yoon.
The top eight teams competing in the IPPF Finals represented schools from six U.S. states.
The IPPF Finals give students the opportunity to participate in oral debates in front of some of the world’s foremost experts in debate, business, law and politics.
The proceedings were judged by a panel comprised of Brewer, Miha Andric, an international debate coach and director of Education Center Argument, based in Slovenia; Will Baker, director of the NYU Global Debate Program; Sarah K. Cowan, founder and executive director of the Cash Transfer Lab and associate professor of Sociology at New York University; and Christina Phillips, director of debate at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. The debate moderator was David Baker, director of Admissions & Financial Aid at St. Mark’s School of Texas.
Rikhil Ranjit from Ivy Bridge Academy received the second annual John E. Sexton award, which honors an outstanding speaker in the final round as determined by the judges. The award is named after NYU President Emeritus Sexton, who serves on the IPPF Advisory Board.
Founded in 2001, the IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students from around the globe the opportunity – for free – to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
The 2023-24 competition began in October, as teams submitted qualifying round essays on the IPPF topic. Judges selected the “Round of 64” teams, who then participated in a single-elimination, written debate contest ― volleying essays back and forth via e-mail. From November to March, the field was narrowed from 64 teams to 32, then 16, and finally to the eight teams that competed in oral debates at the IPPF Finals in New York.
In New York, the quarterfinalists were Coppell High School from Coppell, Texas; Damien Memorial School from Honolulu, Hawaii; Grand Oaks High School from Spring, Texas; and West Anchorage High School from Anchorage, Alaska. Quarterfinalists each win $1,500.
The semifinalist teams — Davidson Academy of Nevada and Hamilton High School from Chandler, Arizona — each win $3,000.
The “Elite 8” teams participating in the IPPF Finals:
Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
Damien Memorial School, Honolulu, Hawaii
Davidson Academy of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
Grand Oaks High School, Spring, Texas
Hamilton High School, Chandler, Arizona
Ivy Bridge Academy, Johns Creek, Georgia
West Anchorage High School, Anchorage, Alaska
Westwood High School, Austin, Texas
About the IPPF and the Brewer Foundation:
The IPPF was founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation and is now jointly administered with New York University. The program is available to all high schools around the world – public and private – for free. The IPPF is endorsed by leading forensic agencies, such as the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the International Debate Education Association, the Impact Coalition, Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Leagues, and the National Debate Coaches Association.
The Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. With offices in New York and Dallas, the Foundation has achieved widespread recognition for its efforts to create, fund and manage a variety of educational outreach programs.
Visit the IPPF at www.ippfdebate.com, www.facebook.com/ippfdebate, and Instagram at @ippfdebate.
NBC5 Reports on Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP)
June 26, 2023 - NBC5 in Dallas highlighted the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program (FLP) in its “Carter in the Classroom” feature, which recognizes unique things school districts and teachers are doing to help children succeed.
Founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation, the FLP is an academic and leadership development program that benefits more than 150 students, ages 12-18, from urban communities within the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). Through year-round academic courses, leadership training, and exposure to a wide array of cultural programs, the FLP helps prepare its “future leaders” for success in college and beyond.
The video news report showcased a summer FLP class on financial literacy. The course covered topics such as filing taxes, learning about paychecks and deductions, budgeting, investing, savings, and more. The report noted that the FLP included the class in its summer programming at the request of its students.
"Budgeting, finances, taxes, things we don't learn in school, they teach us here," Anaya Martinez, a student at Dallas ISD's Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, told NBC.
Watch the report here.
Newsweek Reports on Brewer Foundation/NYU IPPF World Champion
May 9, 2023 – Newsweek reported today on the finals of the Brewer Foundation/NYU International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) – a global debate contest for high school students. As reported, the team from Potomac Oak of Rockville, Maryland was crowned the 2023 IPPF World Champion during the debate finals on May 6, 2023. The school won a $10,000 grand prize from the Brewer Foundation and the “Brewer Cup.” The Hockaday School from Dallas, Texas was runner-up.
As reported by Newsweek, “William Brewer, a lawyer and co-founder of the Brewer Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that manages a variety of educational outreach programs in connection with the Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors law firm, and John Sexton, a debate coach, law professor and former NYU president, started the IPPF as a free contest that combines written and oral debate on international policy issues.”
Hockaday debater Sanika Agarwalla won the inaugural John E. Sexton Award – recognizing the outstanding speaker during the final round.
“Speech and debate programs like the IPPF change lives – helping students find their voice, promote conflict resolution, and see the world differently," Sexton said in a statement to Newsweek. “NYU is proud to partner with the Brewer Foundation to offer this academic program to students around the globe.”
Speaking of the inaugural award recognizing his life’s work as a debater, debate coach, and mentor, Sexton told Newsweek, “This award is an honor for many reasons, but most importantly because it represents so many students and mentors who shared their love of debate as a gift to me. The inaugural winner, Sanika Agarwalla, demonstrated remarkable poise and confidence. She is an inspiration to me – and represents the promise debate holds for future generations.”
To read more, click here.
Potomac Oak Students Crowned World Champion of Brewer Foundation / NYU Debate Contest
May 6, 2023 – New York – A team of students from Potomac Oak in Rockville, Maryland, were crowned world champions Saturday, winning the 22nd Annual Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate competition and a $10,000 grand prize. The final debate was held at The Harold Pratt House in New York City.
The teams that competed in the IPPF Finals on Saturday, May 6, were the final “Elite Eight” teams to emerge from a field of more than 220 teams, representing high schools in 31 U.S. states and 22 countries. The teams debated the topic: “Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an effective model for international cooperation."
As the new IPPF World Champion, the Potomac Oak team receives a $10,000 grand prize from the Brewer Foundation ($5,000 for the school’s debate program and $5,000 in individual scholarships) and the Brewer Cup.
“This amazing team supplemented months of written scholarship with outstanding oral advocacy – earning the title of 2023 IPPF World Champion,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at the Brewer firm and founder of the IPPF. “The IPPF provides students with the opportunity to sharpen skills that are fundamental to academic achievement: the ability to research topics of critical importance, synthesize complex material, and advocate for a position. These students demonstrated a ‘best in class’ performance against some of the most accomplished debaters in the world.”
The runner-up team, The Hockaday School, receives a $3,500 prize. Ms. Sanika Agarwalla from The Hockaday School received the inaugural John E. Sexton award – recognizing the outstanding speaker of the 2023 IPPF Finals.
The top eight teams competing in the IPPF Finals represented schools in five U.S. states, Canada and Singapore. Founded in 2001, the IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students from around the globe the opportunity – for free – to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.
