Statements

Mission

Using a nationally recognized model for empowering high school students through the art of debate, we will play a significant role in improving academic performance, high school graduation and college enrollment rates, and equipping students for college success. ​

Background

The Nashville Urban Debate League (NUDL) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to serving public school students in the Metropolitan Nashville area. Since 2010, NUDL has been providing opportunities for high school students in the Metro Nashville Public Schools District to participate in competitive, research-based policy debate. Our league is a member of the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing policy debate opportunities to students attending public schools in urban areas throughout the U.S.

Impact

Since 2010, the Nashville Debate League (NDL) has worked with high schools in the Metro Nashville Public School district to bring policy debate programs to its schools. Policy debate is a research-based, rigorous extracurricular activity that has the potential to change lives. By providing debate training and resources for teachers who serve as debate coaches, the NUDL has prepared hundreds of students to compete in this challenging activity. At after-school practices and monthly tournaments, NUDL students quickly acquire the skills to take charge of their learning, dive deeply into complex issues, become critical thinkers and problem-solvers, and find their voices in a supportive environment. And, our debaters are good at it. Since the league's inception, we have successfully qualified four students each year to attend the National Championship Tournament in major cities, including Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Success in debate extends far beyond tournament competition and into the classroom. Research conducted by the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) found that each semester a student in an urban debate league debates, his/her grades will improve and he/she is more likely to test as college-ready. Furthermore, research indicates that 90% of urban debaters graduate on time and 72% of urban debaters with the highest risk of dropping out also will graduate on time. Equally impressive, the average urban debater will graduate with a GPA of 3.23, significantly higher than the college readiness benchmark. It is easy to see why nearly 90% of urban debaters enroll in college. Given the proven track record of Urban Debate Leagues across the country and what we've accomplished so far in Nashville, we know the NUDL can be as impactful in assisting MNPS with accomplishing its mission to equip students with the skills they need to graduate and succeed in college and beyond. Large-scale education reform is often contentious, expensive and slow. None of these difficulties apply to policy debate. It doesn't require changing a whole school system. It is easily replicable, extremely cost-effective, and based on a model that has worked for over 100 years. Most importantly, there is a wealth of peer-reviewed academic research indicating that policy debate moves the needle on the most important indicators: high school attendance and graduation, literacy skills, standardized test scores, and college readiness.

CEO Statement

As a sophomore in high school, I walked into a debate team interest meeting with little knowledge of the activity beyond a desire to win an argument. I had no idea at the time that joining the Nashville Urban Debate League would open so many doors for me. NUDL taught me not just how to argue, but how to persuade. I learned the value of a well-researched, highly-organized, and well-delivered argument. I learned how to listen to and learn from people that were different than me. I gained friendships that have lasted far beyond my time in high school. And when I got to college, it was debate that had given me the research and reading comprehension skills that became my lifeline as I navigated an intense academic environment.

While being a NUDL debater certainly had a longterm positive impact on my life, what has left a lasting impression on me is my time as a high school social studies teacher and debate coach. As a coach in both the Boston Urban Debate League and Washington Urban Debate League, I got the opportunity to see my students flourish through their participation in debate.

Debate is an activity that has something for everyone. It can give a precocious, high-flying student the extra challenge and college-readiness tools they need. It can be the way a shy, quiet student builds up their confidence and finds their voice. It can help a student struggling in school find focus and a positive outlet. I have seen debate fundamentally shift the outcomes of a young person's life and future. For so many kids, debate is the first time they feel truly seen and know how much their voice matters. If we can scale this kind of programming and make it accessible to all MNPS students, our impact will be immeasurable.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Secondary & High Schools
Secondary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development Programs
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

TN - Davidson