Events
New York debate league values life skills over trophies
The New York City Urban Debate League executive director is focused on teaching students how to be lifelong learners who can advocate for themselves.
Events
NAUDL fellowship helps put debaters on career paths using lawyers' advice
Starting in 2020, NAUDL opened 10 paid internships to help alumni work on projects that would build leadership capacity and professional development.
Mentors
Former debater goes from "goofy" teacher to coach to Boston league manager
Douglas Matute, who oversees a Debate en Español program, moved to the U.S. at age 15 and didn't speak any English but had "a stubbornness to not fall behind."
Teams
Boston coach encourages debate "no matter what language you speak"
Boston International Newcomers Academy debate coach Lorenis Nova says that the activity "stays with you from beginning to end."
Events
Spanish-language debate program helps "ostracized" students feel included
The Chicago Debates program director said Debate en Español shows students that they should be involved in civic discourse in their native language.
Events
Student-led debate league hopes to change competition's legacy of exclusion
The New York Parliamentary Debate League executive director said having a student-run board makes it "uniquely equipped to give students what they want."
Debates
D.C. debater uses argument skills to enact change in city schools
If he loses at a tournament, Haven Howard will "fully submerge" himself in researching a topic and view defeat "as a reason to gain knowledge about something."
Teams
"Scrappy little team" from Houston makes top 64 at debate championship
The Westchester Academy for International Studies debate team formed five years ago and has only qualified for nationals three times.
Events
NSDA director says events empower students to "use their voice for good"
National Speech and Debate Association Executive Director J. Scott Wunn says that "debate has always been the key for us creating a better society."
News
Dallas Students Feel Like 'Goldfish' Among Sharks Ahead of National Event
"It can get scary sometimes," one high school student told Newsweek recently, "but we have proved that we can still stand our ground."
Students
Denver student says she "never felt important" until she joined debate
Marianny Torres-Collado says participating in debate makes her "feel good" because she is able to engage with similar people, "so maybe I do belong."
Mentors
D.C. debate coach pushes students to ponder life's biggest questions
One student said Messai Yigletu has helped her learn to walk the "fragile line" of balancing self-awareness, humility and confidence.
Students
Denver debater says teens can cut through "whitewashing" of history
Isabella Long told Newsweek that many young people are more informed than adults about key issues and should be taken seriously.
Mentors
Debate coach: Students shouldn't be "white debaters from the '70s and '80s"
Rachel Bruce told Newsweek that at one point, she recognized she "was being the exclusionary person," and that she had to "make a big change."
Students
Denver high schoolers overcome language barrier to thrive in debate
Ruby Trejo Ontiveros says debate can benefit students in the future by helping them "express what they think without a fight."
Mentors
Denver Teacher Says Debate Breeds Compassion on Controversial Topics
Debate coach Josh Hirsch told Newsweek, "It's so important that somebody who's adamantly pro-choice can at least understand why somebody would be pro-life."
Students
D.C. high school debater turns pandemic burnout into mental heath advocacy
Noemie Durand admits she has had "some stage fright and, I'm not gonna lie, I still have it, but debate has helped me get over that fear to a certain extent."
Students
Texas high schooler wins first speaker award at global debate contest
Sanika Agarwalla said debate not only taught her how to speak but also "how to listen and how to be open to altering my perspectives."
Teams
International policy debate champs say "goal was to not just win" contests
The coach at Potomac Oak, a Maryland learning academy, says success depends on mentorship and sharing "institutional knowledge."
Events
Potomac Oak wins IPPF championship after falling short two years in a row
The Maryland team was named the 22nd International Public Policy Forum world champion, receiving a $10,000 grand prize.
Mentors
Students transform life of debate Coach of the Year who "wasted education"
A student debater changed Dallas teacher Kris Wright's career by telling him that he wasn't exposed to "things that are going to challenge your worldview."
Events
International policy debaters to face expert panel at $10,000 tournament
The 2023 International Public Policy Forum Finals, featuring teams from the U.S., Canada and Singapore, kick off this weekend in New York City.
Students
Washington, D.C., student credits debate with getting her into Harvard
The Washington Urban Debate League programing and development director says Liv Birnstad isn't "the hardest-working person…she is the smartest-working person."
Mentors
Silicon Valley debate league director says kids give "hope for the future"
Despite Silicon Valley's affluent reputation, Rolland Janairo says that "there are thousands of kids…who don't necessarily have access to that wealth."
Students
Silicon Valley high schooler nearly moves debate judge to tears
The judge said high school senior Erick Zaragoza "doesn't really care that he got the win" and instead focused on helping his opponents do better next time.
America's toxic national discourse and how debate can help
With a live, in-office debate, eight high school students with the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues proved that respectful discourse is possible.
Why Newsweek is working with urban debate leagues to support young debaters
Newsweek will host a live debate event at its New York City headquarters on Friday, April 14.
St. Paul Central High School debaters celebrate unexpected tournament run
The Urban Debate National Championship runners-up focused on their partnership, saying, "We are a team and when we go down, we go down together."
Port of Los Angeles debaters win school's first title in championship final
The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues Championship Tournament ended with a winning team that says it has "a lot more goals to get through."
Urban debate tournament ends with historic final round, scholarship money
An L.A. high school won the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues Championship Tournament in a victory that one student said was "a surreal experience."