Impact of Debate

Urban Debate Leagues (UDLs) have had remarkable success in 13 major cities across the country. The results suggest significant benefits for debaters and their communities.

• Debaters learn core language arts skills: reading comprehension, critical thinking, communication skills, and argument organization and support. Research shows UDL debaters improve their grades and class rank by an average of 6% over two years.
• Debate is not only for high achievers. UDLs are engaging many underachieving students who don?t do well with the standard curriculum. Debaters show improved social skills, conflict resolution skills, and self-esteem, all of which positively influence classroom participation.
• Debate not only promotes cross-cultural respect and understanding; it also meets the needs of our diverse school population, providing a structure for acquiring the form and content of effective communication.
• UDLs function as a college bridge program. More than 70 universities have special outreach programs for urban debaters.
• Debate skills are crucial in an information-based economy. Former debaters are disproportionately represented among leaders in the media, the business world, academia, law, and government. Examples include David Bloom, Tom Brokaw, Oprah Winfrey, John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Lawrence Tribe of Harvard Law.