Changing Lives for Urban Debaters

Debate is a transformative activity for students, and it is a direct catalyst to success for my urban students.  Debate camp gives my students a ticket from the urban classroom to the lecture halls and dorm rooms of a major Ivy League University.  Through debate camp, 5 of my brightest and hardest working students get the opportunity to see themselves at a major university and to visualize a successful future.  Not only does debate camp give students a great window into their future, but it also teaches a litany of crucial skills.

As a seasoned teacher and coach, I have watched my debaters improve their independent research skills, learn to think quickly, and become confident public speakers.  These fundamental skills prepare my students to be effective members of society.  Students on the debate team exhibit a remarkable level of dedication—they research topics in their free time, and often come to me to inquire about, or inform me of, current events or scholarly articles they have come across. 

                I am constantly impressed by the amount of work my students put into debate, despite all of the other challenges they face in their lives.  Debate has become a release for some of my students, giving them something positive to focus on in their lives.

                  The value I see in debate, and in debate camp, is that it gives my students opportunities I do not believe they could derive from other high school activities.  Debate camp—a four-week intensive summer program at Dartmouth University—gives students a chance to spend time on a college campus of an Ivy League institution.  At camp students spend 7 days  a week, 12 hours a day, engaging with materials for the upcoming debate season.  They do speaking drills, conduct extensive research, attend lectures, author their own arguments, and work in lab groups to do mock debates.  But more importantly, they spend time envisioning themselves at a major university.  They live in the dorms, they move about campus, and they see exactly what it would be like to attend a major university.  For students from the urban setting, this is a rare and crucial opportunity.

                For my students, this could be the only opportunity to visit an out of state Ivy League school.  Based on the skills I already see these students exhibiting in the debate setting, I have no doubt that they would be successful at a top tier university like Dartmouth, but I also know that they will not strive for that type of environment unless they gain exposure to it.  I want to give my students this opportunity, and I hope that you will help me get them there.  Thank you for your support!