More information added weekly! 🌎🤝 Happening this September & October 2026 🗓️🫂

It is an online competition where teams of young people from around the world practice resolving a realistic conflict through mediation. Students take turns as mediators, advocates and clients, and experienced mediators and attorneys serve as judges and give feedback after each round.

It is a competition, but the bigger goal is learning. Every round ends with comments from the judges, and every participant leaves with real skills, new friends in other countries, and recognition for their work.

Students ages 12 to 26 may compete for awards. You do not need any previous mediation experience. The free Global Peace Bootcamp trainings were designed to get beginners ready.

If someone on your team is over 26, your team is still welcome as a House Team. House Teams get a mentor, compete in all preliminary rounds, receive judges' comments and can attend all trainings. They are not eligible for awards and will not advance to the finals if enough other teams are competing.

There are two brackets: 18 & Under (18U) and 19+. Your school level can decide your bracket. For example, an 18-year-old in college may compete in 19+, and a 19-year-old still in high school may compete in 18U.

If teams drop out, TMI may combine brackets for a round so everyone still gets to compete. Awards are always given separately for each age bracket.

Each team has three students. Over the three preliminary rounds, each team member plays each role once: mediator, advocate and client. Your team decides who plays which role in which round.

You do not need to be a law student or know legal terms. Mediation is about listening, asking good questions, understanding what people really need, and helping them find a solution together.

Registration for competing teams is now closed. Thank you to every student who signed up!

Observers are still welcome. If you would like to watch the tournament and learn, register as an observer using the link on the TMI Discord server, or email teenmediation@gmail.com.

The registration fee is US$45 per team (not per person). When one of TMI's sponsors helps your team, the fee is US$15 per team. The Saturday Global Peace Bootcamp trainings are free and open to anyone.

Every team is expected to pay the fee. If that is difficult, we encourage you to find a sponsor, such as your school, a local law firm, or a local business. TMI also works to find sponsors who can help reduce the fee. See Sponsor a Team on this page, and reach out to us early if you need help.

All times are New York time (EDT, UTC-4). To find your local time, use a converter such as timeanddate.com.

Tournament Welcome (both brackets): Friday, October 23. Log on at 10:15 AM. The Welcome runs 10:30 to 11:15 AM, and the 19+ bracket checks in for Round 1 right afterward.

19+ bracket: Round 1 on Fri, Oct 23. Rounds 2 and 3 on Sat, Oct 24. Final Round (top 4 teams) on Sun, Oct 25.

18 & Under (18U) bracket: Rounds 1 and 2 on Sat, Oct 24. Round 3 and the Final Round (top 4 teams) on Sat, Oct 31.

Check the TMI Discord server for any schedule updates.

All times are New York time (EDT).

Round 1, Fri Oct 23: log on 11:15 AM, confidential facts 11:30 AM, round starts 12:00 PM, judges' comments 1:00 PM.

Round 2, Sat Oct 24: log on 8:15 AM, confidential facts 8:30 AM, round starts 9:00 AM, judges' comments 10:00 AM.

Round 3, Sat Oct 24: log on 11:15 AM, confidential facts 11:30 AM, round starts 12:00 PM, judges' comments 1:00 PM.

Final Round, Sun Oct 25: log on 8:15 AM, confidential facts 8:30 AM, round starts 9:00 AM, judges' comments 10:00 AM.

The 18U bracket runs two rounds back to back on each of two Saturdays. All times are New York time (EDT).

Round 1, Sat Oct 24: log on 6:45 AM, confidential facts 7:00 AM, round starts 7:30 AM, judges' comments 8:30 AM.

Round 2, Sat Oct 24: log on 8:45 AM, confidential facts 9:00 AM, round starts 9:30 AM, judges' comments 10:30 AM.

Round 3, Sat Oct 31: log on 6:45 AM, confidential facts 7:00 AM, round starts 7:30 AM, judges' comments 8:30 AM.

Final Round, Sat Oct 31: log on 8:45 AM, confidential facts 9:00 AM, round starts 9:30 AM, judges' comments 10:30 AM.

Plan on almost two hours per round:

45 minutes before the round: log on and check in on Zoom.

30 minutes before: confidential facts are released.

60 minutes: the mediation round.

10 minutes: judges' comments and feedback.

If you are running late or lose your connection, message the Help Desk on Discord right away and rejoin Zoom as quickly as you can. Volunteers will help you get back to your room.

Each room has students from four teams working on the same case. Two mediators, each from a different team, co-mediate together. Two advocate-and-client pairs, each from a different team, represent the two sides of the dispute. Judges watch, score, and then give comments.

A typical round follows the stages taught in the Global Peace Bootcamp: (1) opening statements by the mediators, then by each side; (2) agenda setting; (3) joint conference and negotiation; (4) caucus, private meetings between the mediators and each side; and (5) agreement writing and wrap-up, if the parties reach a settlement.

Mediator: stays neutral and guides the process, asks open questions and listens, helps the parties move from positions to interests, and helps write the agreement.

Advocate: represents the client's interests, gives a clear opening statement, negotiates and proposes options, and works as a team with the client.

Client: plays the person in the dispute, stays in character using the case facts, shares concerns realistically, and decides whether to accept an offer.

The advocate and client are scored together as one pair.

Thirty minutes before each round, advocates and clients receive confidential facts for their side. These are details the other side and the mediators don't know. Use them to plan your strategy and decide what to share and when.

During those 30 minutes, advocates and clients may be coached by their mentor. Mediators may not be coached once facts are released.

The tournament case (the general facts everyone shares) is posted on the TMI Discord server. Read it several times before the tournament. The confidential facts for each side are released just before each round.

The Tournament Handbook, linked on this page, has the detailed rules, round structure, role guidance and judging information. Read it before the tournament and keep it open during your rounds.

Yes. Each team is matched with a mentor who can help you understand the case, practice your roles, and coach advocates and clients during the confidential-facts time. Mentors never judge their own teams.

Judges complete an online ballot for each round. Teams are ranked using the INADR method, in this order: (1) number of ballot wins, (2) score differential, (3) total points.

Judges are assigned so that no judge sees the same team twice, and no team is judged by its own mentor or by judges from its own country.

Mediators: neutrality, active listening, a clear opening and agenda, helpful questions, moving the parties toward interests and options, managing time, and a clear, workable agreement.

Advocates and clients: a clear opening, staying true to the case facts, teamwork, identifying interests on both sides, creative and realistic proposals, and respectful, persuasive communication.

Everyone: professionalism, courtesy and good faith. Winning an argument is not the goal. Solving the problem is.

The top four teams in each bracket after the preliminary rounds advance to the Final Round. Finals pairings are announced after the preliminary rounds are scored.

Every 2026 participant receives a certificate and a letter of recognition. Participants can also compete for gift cards (Steam, Amazon or Starbucks). Awards are given separately in each age bracket.

A computer or tablet with a working camera and microphone (a phone works if necessary).

A stable internet connection. Use a wired connection or sit near your router if you can.

The latest version of Zoom installed. The rounds are held on Zoom.

A free Discord account, joined to the TMI server.

A quiet, well-lit place to compete. Headphones help.

Every participant must set a clear, professional-looking headshot as their Zoom profile picture. It shows whenever your camera is off, so judges and other teams can still see who is speaking.

To change it: sign in at zoom.us, go to Profile, click your current picture, upload a photo and save. In the Zoom app, you can also click your initials or picture in the top corner and choose Change your profile picture.

During rounds, your Zoom name shows your role symbol, room number, name and individual code so volunteers can place you in the correct breakout room. Volunteers will help you rename yourself at check-in.

The TMI Discord server is the home for tournament information: announcements, the case, schedules, links, and the Help Desk. Join here: https://discord.gg/HKxwsTCnah. Please use only this official invitation link.

The rounds themselves are held on Zoom, not on Discord. Zoom links are shared with competitors before each round.

1. Watch the Global Peace Bootcamp training replays on this page: opening remarks, agenda setting, conference and negotiation, caucus, and agreement writing.

2. Read the Tournament Handbook, especially the section on how a tournament round works.

3. Read the case at least three times. List each party's positions, their underlying interests, and possible options.

4. Practice each role. Run a full mock round with your teammates and mentor, using a timer.

5. Write your opening statements for each role, then practice saying them naturally instead of reading them.

6. Test your tech the day before: Zoom, camera, microphone, profile picture and Discord.

7. Convert every round time to your local time and set alarms.

Plan your opening with your co-mediator: introductions, your neutral role, confidentiality, ground rules, and how the session will go.

Decide ahead of time who leads which part, and support each other in the room.

Summarize what you hear. Reframe blaming statements into neutral issues.

Ask "Why is that important to you?" to uncover interests behind positions.

Use caucus to explore what each side can't say in front of the other.

Watch the clock and leave time to write a clear agreement: who does what, by when.

Prepare a short, confident opening that explains your side's story and what matters most to your client.

Know your client's interests, your best outcome, and the point where you would walk away.

Think about the other side's interests too. Proposals that meet both sides' needs are more persuasive.

Clients: stay in character and stay with the facts. Don't invent facts that change the case.

Use the 30-minute confidential-facts time with your mentor to plan what to share and when.

Be firm on interests and flexible on solutions.

Log on to Zoom 45 minutes before your round.

Have the case, your notes and the Tournament Handbook open and ready.

Dress neatly, as you would for a school presentation.

Keep your camera on and stay muted when you are not speaking.

Listen carefully to the judges' comments. They are the best part of the learning.

Be kind. You are competing with future colleagues and friends from around the world.

Questions? Check the TMI Discord server or email teenmediation@gmail.com.