Overview

Learning to listen to an opponent’s perspective, address problems through research-based solutions and advocate for oneself are skills that every young person should develop. At the core of an effective democracy is an informed and engaged citizenry. American principles demand a return to the core values of family, country and personal development for our nation’s children.

Debate will reach millions of students in need ONLY if there are leaders who will stand up for its importance. ALOUD will gather individuals who, through their academic and/or professional careers use the skills of debate (critical thinking, research, persuasion, effective public advocacy) and recognize its unique power.

Structure

The Debate Leadership Committee will attract the country’s foremost leaders in business, entertainment, politics, law and academia. To maximize efficiency, DLC membership will be limited to 50 individuals. They will be divided into subcommittees (legislative, corporate, entertainment, education & legal) that can think through how to support debate in that field. ALOUD’s national effort will revitalize the academic arena through debate education inside and outside the classroom. These Debate Leaders will be the vanguard supporting this movement with their names, their voices and their resources.

The Debate Leadership Committee will meet once a year and function as a flexible network of supporters. Debate Leaders will consult with staff about ALOUD’s operations and spur meaningful debate enterprises that apply their expertise. Their actions will form the basis of how ALOUD progresses towards its long-term goals.

Current Committee Members and Subcommittee Chairs

Charles Dutton (star of Aliens), Entertainment Chair

Scott Segal, Bracewell Guiliani, Legislative Chair

Tim Sanders, former Chief Solutions Officer, Yahoo. Corporate Chair

Anne Marie O’Halloran, Accenture

Wendy Kopp, Teach for America

Activities

Advocate debate in public forums as a component of school reform
Identify personal, corporate and public sources poised to invest in ALOUD
Foster systemic change by demanding responses from powerful colleagues to burst through bureaucracies
Use their contacts to bring debate to countless children nationwide

Objectives

Inform school districts about the uses of debate as a transformative classroom tool
Expand and improve urban debate offerings in major cities
Fund rigorous national assessment of debate’s impact on literacy, risk-taking behavior and academic achievement through the National Awards for Debate Excellence
Create a national public awareness campaign about the benefits of debate for students, parents, school officials and corporate leaders

Goals

Make debate available to every student in the nation as an interactive teaching tool
Incorporate debate and public speaking as a requirement for graduation from high school
Institutionalize debate training in the five hundred most impoverished school districts in the country
Establish corporate internships for outstanding debaters
Connect academic debate competitions to real world debates (public hearings, political candidate debates and issue forums) in the community
Engage 1,000 former debaters and allies in creating “local debate communities”

To apply to join the Debate Leadership Committee, please email aloud11@gmail.com

This is our message to America’s urban students:

Your Voice. Your Future. Debate.

Associated Leaders of Urban Debate

Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Your Voice. Your Future. Debate.

"Associated Leaders of Urban Debate"

Debate Leadership Committee Members