Welcome to the World of Debate!

1. Welcome to the World of Debate!

2. Serves over 350 students at 23middle and high schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul and is a program of Augsburg College • We are funded almost entirely through philanthropic support (Individual donors, foundations and corporations, and the legal community). • High school students attend practices 2-3 times per week, and compete at weekend debate tournaments against other urban schools as well as private and suburban schools. • Middle school students (grades 6-8) compete at tournaments held in November, December, February and March. • Mission: to empower students to become engaged learners, critical thinkers, and active citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.

3. Participating Schools in the Twin Cities St. Paul High Schools • Como • Central • Highland Sr. High • Humboldt Sr. • Middle Schools • Battle Creek • Capitol Hill Magnet • Highland Jr. High • Humboldt Jr. • Laura Jeffrey • Murray Minneapolis High Schools • North • Patrick Henry • South • Thomas Edison • Washburn • Middle Schools • Andersen United • Anthony • Barton Open • Global Academy • Lucy Laney • Nellie Stone Johnson • Northeast • Sanford

4. Famous Debaters “Once my feet got wet, I was gone on debating. Whichever side of the selected subject was assigned to me, I'd track down and study everything I could find on it. I'd put myself in my opponent's place and decide how I'd try to win if I had the other side; and then I'd figure a way to knock down those points" Malcolm X

5. Fun Fact: 63% of US Congress was on their High School Speech or Debate Team • John F. Kennedy - 35th President of the United States • "I think debating in high school and college is most valuable training whether for politics, the law, or business. A good debater must not only study material in support of his own case, but he must also, of course, thoroughly analyze the expected argument of his opponent. I wish we had a good deal more debating in our educational institutions than we do now." - August 22nd, 1960

6. Outcomes (based on evaluative data of Minnesota students) • 100% of high school participants have graduated on time • 100% of graduating participants in the last two years have been accepted to college • 87.5% of debaters were better able to analyze information than controls (non-debaters in study)

7. Outcomes • Reading comprehension increases by 3 grade levels, after 1 year of debate • Self-esteem and self-confidence increases by 39% • Absences decrease from 3.3 to 1.3, while controls increase to 9.3 days per year.

8. Outcomes (based on evaluative data of Chicago Urban Debate League students) Where debaters are 42% more likely to graduate high school than non-debaters, African-American male debaters are 70% more likely to graduate high school than African-American males who do not debate

9. Augsburg Promise Scholarship • Requirements: • 4 years debating for the UDL • 3.25 GPA • 21 on the ACT Pell Grant Eligible Full tuition scholarship for four years (worth over $100,000)

10. The Goals of Debate • Learn rules • Boost reading comprehension and vocabulary • Boost critical thinking skills • Boost self-confidence • Have fun

11. Thank you for your support! • Contact MNUDL Executive Director Amy Cram Helwich at 612-359-6467 orcramhe@augsburg.eduto learn how you can get involved or to hear more about the program.