Happy Thanksgiving! 
from the New York City 
Urban Debate League

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Thank you everyone for your support for our mission to bring debate to every school in New York City!  In 2011 there were only a handful of schools with debate teams.  Today we serve over 100+ schools and 1000+ students.  This could not be possible without your support.
 

With your help, NYC Debate is dedicated to making sure that

New York City's students and future leaders have access to the best debate education opportunities. 

  

Your contribution makes a tangible difference:

  

* Every day - debate training during and after school.

* Every weekend - free debate tournaments.

* Every summer - free and low-cost summer debate camps.

  

Over 95% of our graduating seniors go on to college -

many with full and partial scholarships.

  

Last year, 100% of our seniors graduated from high school

and 100% of our seniors were accepted into college.

  

Our Great Debaters win city championships, state championships, national and international championships. They learn about politics, science, the environment, and the economy, all while speaking in front of their peers, corporate leaders, lawyers, and judges.  We hope you consider donating to the New York City Urban Debate League to continue our mission that all schools and all students should have access to debate - the most rigorous academic program since Ancient Greece.  Thank You for your support. 

  
to donate to our Great Debaters 
Today or Giving Tuesday (December 3rd)!  
All contributions are tax deductible.

 

"One of the top arts and

humanities based

programs in the country."

- First Lady,

Michelle Obama

 

"...in our urban high

schools, competitive debate

is one of the great

equalizers of educational

opportunity."

- Secretary of Education,

Arne Duncan

 

Honored as one of the nation's top after school programs by the... 

 

The Presidential Commission on the Arts & Humanities

 

The National Endowment for the Arts

 

The National Endowment for the Humanities

 

The Institute for Museum and Library Services

 

The Social Index of the Top 100 Nonprofits

 

The Points of LIght Civic Accelerator of the nation's top start ups dedicated to civics 

 
Sincerely,

Erik Fogel
The New York City Urban Debate League
Phone: 917-455-1079

NYC Travel Team Wins Big in Lexington, Massachusetts!

Lexington is referred to as the "birthplace of democracy' in America after the Battle of Lexington and Concord which were the first battles of the American Revolution.  Lexington has come full circle in that it is also home to one of the top debate programs and tournaments in the nation.  Lexington residents have traded in the bullets of their ancestors for arguments in the continued pursuit and struggle for freedom, liberty and justice for all.  And so every year the town hosts the "Little Lexington Tournament" and the "Big Lexington Tournament" where debaters from across the country gather to discuss, compete, and learn about the leading issues of the day.  And so on Friday, our Travel Teams from Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan departed New York City.  We were generously housed by our tournament host families.  And on Saturday from 8:00am-6:00pm our debaters competed in 4-5 rounds of debate competitions on the topics of civil disobedience (Lincoln Douglas Debate), national security and the NSA (public forum debate) and Latin American economics (Policy Debate).  New York City teams continued their dominance by winning in every single division including 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place top speakers and top teams!  Congratulations all!

 

1st Place Top Speakers in Massachusetts are NYC Debaters! Maspeth High School Goes Undefeated!!!!
Institute for Collaborative Education Wins 1st Place
ACORN Community HS Wins 1st Place! 


Congratulations to ACORN Community High School's Tyler Anderson and Shamella Jeffers who lead the top ten debate statistics in the state of Massachusetts!  Tyler is also the 1st Place ranked speaker in the state, after winning the Little Lexington Tournament last weekend! 

Also a huge congratulations to Maspeth High School which just started their debate program last year in public forum debate.  This year their teams are undefeated!!  Our top winners on the Travel Team....

Maspeth's Zuraw & Tanzil - undefeated, 5-0

Maspeth's Gonzalez & Ruiz - 4-1

KAPPA's Howard & Morales - 3-2

ACORN's Anderson & Jeffers - 2nd Place Top Team, 3-1

ACORN's Tyler Anderson - 1st Place Speaker

ACORN's Shamella Jeffers - 2nd Place Speaker

ICE"s 1st Place Speaker - Nicole Yapyakis

ICE's Yapyakis & Lambert - 3rd Place Team

 

New Jersey Debater Becomes the Youngest Elected Official in New Jersey History!

New Jersey High School Senior, Chase Harrison is not your typical high school student - national champion competitor in speech and debate, and in his spare time - running for election in New Jersey and becoming the youngest elected official in New Jersey History!  Click here to read more!
 
December 3rd!  Save the Date!  
The Second Annual #GivingTuesday!  


This year, on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, we are part of a call to action that will change the calendar

and help make history. We are celebrating a day dedicated to giving -- when charities, families,

businesses, community centers, students, retailers and more will all come together for #GivingTuesday -a movement to celebrate giving and encourage more, better and smarter giving during the Holiday Season that we are proud to be part of.  #GivingTuesday will create a day of giving around the annual shopping and spending season --giving's"opening day". Leading up to December 3, the #GivingTuesday campaign will provide a platform for you

to contribute to your community and the world to help make this season the biggest giving season yet!  Click here to support our City's Great Debaters!

 

December NYC Debate Tournaments Coming Up!
NYC_Debate_Logo

December 7th NYC Debate High School Tournament #2
Institute for Collaborative Education, 345 E. 15th Street, NY, NY 10001

Topics include: attorney client privilege (Lincoln Douglas Debate), Latin American economic policy (Policy Debate), and the Dream Act and immigration rights (Public Forum Debate)

December 14th NYC Middle School Tournament #3
Institute for Collaborative Education, 345 E. 15th Street, NY, NY 10001

Topics include: Latin American economic policy (Policy Debate), the Dream Act and immigration rights (Public Forum Debate), stop and frisk laws, standardized testing, making voting mandatory (Parliamentary Debate)
 
December Debate Night! 
The Bill of Rights Day Debate Series,
sponsored by the Bronx Defenders

(December TBA)    


December 15th is Bill of Rights Day.  But while we celebrate one of the most powerful and historical documents, we must always be ready to advocate, debate, and speak out to defend these rights.  And so New York City's Greatest Debaters will come together in December at the Bronx Defenders, one of the leading national organizations dedicated to the struggle for individual rights and liberties, and at the center of redefining public defense of individuals.  The debate topics for the night include the Dream Act and immigration rights and New York City's Stop and Frisk laws.  Click here to learn more!

January Debate Night!
The Martin Luther King Jr. Debate Invitational,
sponsored by Kirkland and Ellis LLP. 
(January 29th) 


Thanks to the support of Kirkland and Ellis LLP, New York City will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by honoring one of the world's most famous public speakers and social activists by honoring our next generation of leaders and advocates who are carrying his torch by hosting New York City's First Martin Luther King Jr. Debate Invitational. The tournament will be hosted at Kirkland and Ellis.  Over 50 of the top debaters from across the city have been invited to participate. Debate topics for the day are on civil disobedience and Martin Luther King Jr. Day and National Service Day. Students will have the opportunity to network with lawyers and legal staff, learn about careers in the legal profession, and after the debate, Kirkland and Ellis is hosting a reception and dinner for all debaters.  This event is historical for NYC in that our city has never hosted an annual scholastic event for all schools and students commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  And there is no academic program better suited than debate!  Martin Luther King. Jr. was a member of his college's debate team and one of the most famous public speakers in history.  Thank you Kirkland and Ellis for making this historical event possible.  Click here to learn more!

Click here to donate to support our great debaters!  
all donations are tax deductible!