The barrier
At the middle school level, most students who debate do so through paid after-school organizations.
Student-led debate access on the Peninsula
Debate shouldn't be pay-to-play.
Uplift Debate brings free, in-person workshops to students who do not otherwise have access, taught by high school debaters volunteering through Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula clubhouses.
The program targets 7th and 8th graders and currently also teaches 5th and 6th graders.
A barrier, answered
The response
Free, in-person workshops led by high school volunteers and delivered through BGCP clubhouses.
Mission
What we are here to do
Our mission is to develop critical thinking and argumentation skills for middle school students through exposure to debate.
What Uplift Debate does
The program combines direct instruction, near-peer mentorship, and a pathway toward competitive high school debate.
In-person workshops
Recurring after-school debate instruction at BGCP clubhouses, provided by high school volunteers.
Near-peer mentorship
Student instructors can stay responsive to what younger students actually want from the program.
A pathway forward
Scholarships to paid debate programs for low-income students, plus connections to high school programs such as SVUDL.
TODO: photo
Who the program is for
Uplift Debate prioritizes students without existing access to debate, including students on financial aid.
- Target
- 7th and 8th graders
- Currently also teaching
- 5th and 6th graders
- Service area
- San Mateo, South San Francisco, Redwood City, and the Los Altos / Mountain View area
Work completed
Two programs. A clear starting point.
The Fiesta Gardens and Orange Avenue programs together account for the exact totals below.
- workshops
- 22
- clubhouses
- 2
- hours of instruction
- 30
TODO: total number of students taught across both programs (the 10 figure is survey respondents from one program, not total reach).
Vision
Our vision is for young people in the Bay Area to be confident, engaged, and self-advocating members of their communities.
Bring debate within reach.
If you work with a club or school, start a conversation about bringing Uplift Debate to your students.
Start a conversation