“The Urban Debate Program gave students a platform to look critically at issues of great social and national importance. Urban debaters learned to think critically, form logical arguments, and engage in debates on critical public policy issues – renewable energy, oceans policy, privacy rights, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and weapons of mass destruction. In addition to learning about these issues, high school students in the Urban Debate Program learned analytical skills that opened pathways to college and its debate teams.”

- Steven Goodman, “Amplifying Young People’s Voices” an essay in OSIUS10

What is Our Vision?

Addressing a packed cafeteria of students, Whitney, a college sophomore proclaimed, “Debate helped me find my voice to talk openly about my health and my life. Without it, I would be dead. If not physically dead, certainly dead to myself.” She is powerful, confident and inspirational, having appeared on a recent MTV special discussing how young people live with HIV. Whitney is not alone in discovering her voice and coming to grips with a difficult personal situation through debate. Whether it’s learning to articulate their healthcare needs or using words instead of weapons to solve conflicts, debate training serves as an education reform and intervention strategy for young people from vulnerable communities.

Urban debate means much more than just competition. It promulgates debates in the classroom as a learning tool, in the public square to build community awareness, in middle schools to foster self-expression among adolescents, and in community-based organizations where different formats of debate will emerge.  Debate should be everywhere that young people face difficult choices and need more tools to overcome barriers.  

The ALOUD story has been chronicled in US News & World Report, the NY Times, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Urban debaters have been featured on MTV, NPR, 60 Minutes, and countless local cable shows. Laura Bush honored an ALOUD partner program as one of the nation’s best youth intervention strategies.

Each ALOUD community will have a strong public/private partnership that includes a university, a school district, and organizations with proven expertise in debate, assessment and at-risk communities. Localities will raise matching funds to ensure their commitment. Through partnerships with prestigious universities, well-respected nonprofits and urban school systems, ALOUD is well positioned to make debate available to the neediest kids in the neediest schools.

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A national study demonstrated that urban debaters are three times less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors than non-debaters

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This is our message to urban students:

Your Voice. Your Future. Debate.