Completed
Fiesta Gardens Clubhouse
San Mateo
- Series
- 10 weekly workshops over 10 weeks
- Day
- Fridays
- Session length
- 90 minutes each
Programs
From first argument to a way forward.
Uplift Debate pairs recurring, in-person workshops with a scholarship pathway toward competitive high school debate.
What a workshop looks like
The verified program format is recurring, in-person, after-school debate instruction led by high school volunteers.
- Setting
- In person and after school
- Instruction
- Led by high school debaters volunteering their time
- Focus
- Debate concepts, argumentation, public speaking, critical thinking, and topic knowledge
- Access
- Free to students and delivered through BGCP clubhouses
TODO: verified workshop format and sample session agenda.
TODO: photo
Program goals
The workshops are intended to:
- Increase engagement in debate
- Strengthen public speaking skills and confidence
- Deepen knowledge across a variety of fields, including politics and economics
- Increase critical thinking
- Encourage students to care more about their education
Completed programs
Two clubhouses, two workshop formats
Both completed programs were delivered with Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula.
Completed
Orange Avenue Clubhouse
South San Francisco
- Series
- 12 workshops over 6 weeks
- Cadence
- Two per week
- Session length
- 75 minutes each
Combined totals
- workshops
- 22
- clubhouses
- 2
- hours of instruction
- 30
Scholarship pathway
Connecting workshops to competitive debate
Uplift Debate connects students to competitive high school debate by funding scholarships to paid debate programs for low-income students.
The project also connects students to high school programs such as SVUDL.
TODO: number of scholarships awarded, if any yet, and the programs they're for.
The 3-year plan
Grow in sequence
The plan moves from completed clubhouse programs toward broader Peninsula reach and a more formal structure.
Now
Two programs completed
Completed the Fiesta Gardens program; completed the Orange Avenue summer program.
Completed
Year 1
Deepen the clubhouse network
Expand to five BGCP clubhouses. Deepen partnerships. Build a volunteer network.
Planned
Year 2
Reach Los Altos middle schools
Expand to middle schools in Los Altos. Likely add paid part-time staff to formalize the organization.
Planned
Year 3
Reach every Peninsula clubhouse
Expand to all BGCP clubhouses on the Peninsula. Stand up an advisory board.
Planned
Interested in hosting the program?
Club and school staff can email the volunteer team to start a conversation.
Talk with the team