At the core of Eloquence Academy’s mission is a commitment to forming mutually beneficial relationships with community members. Across the country and beyond, hundreds of high-achieving students with a demonstrated passion for educational equity volunteer at Eloquence. Volunteering is a low-commitment and low-stakes way to promote debate accessibility and learn about nonprofit operations. Volunteers support the core of the organization’s mission by coaching debate classes, judging debate tournaments, staffing online events, and organizing local fundraisers.

The volunteer program is open to all high school students (entering grades 9, 10, 11, or 12) and undergraduate students. Given the multifaceted nature of Eloquence’s operations and volunteer program, volunteers do not need formal debate experience. Scroll down to read more about the different volunteer opportunities!

Volunteer Role Breakdown

Regional Director

  • actively oversee a region of 10-15 volunteers (organize meetings, approve service hours, etc.)

  • institute local programming (primarily in-person) including classes, workshops, and seminars

  • outreach to NGOs, nonprofits and secondary schools

  • apply for grants from regional foundations or local chapters of national organizations

  • host fundraisers, aiming to raise $500-$750 for the overall organization each year

  • check-in with the administrative team on a bi-weekly basis either via email or Zoom

  • attend RD-wide meetings to share your work and learn about the initiatives of other regions

  • submit a year-end final report with full volunteer list, images, impact stats, and reflection questions

Program Instructor

  • prepare for coaching sessions by meeting with other program instructors and attending curriculum training sessions

  • coach students in-person and online based on provided Eloquence curriculum

  • judge at weekend debate tournaments and provide written/oral feedback to students

  • provide in-depth reports to Eloquence administrative team on student progress and retention of curriculum

  • brainstorm and share novel outreach strategies and program ideas with Eloquence team members

  • attend monthly check-in meetings with Eloquence admin and Regional Director

  • assignment to 1-2 management committees; including social media, tournaments, seminar planning, fundraising, etc.

Erika Chiu (San Francisco, California)

“I’ve loved being able to know the students and see them grow throughout just a few weeks. My experience has been stellar. ”

Service Recognition Programs

Volunteer Hours

Volunteers may request a service hours signature or letter from a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Please remember to ask your Service Hour Coordinator if volunteering for Eloquence Academy will count. Because we are a national organization, we cannot guarantee your particular district will accept service hours from us.

NEW!

PVSA

Established in 2002 by President George W. Bush, the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. As a designated certifying organization, Eloquence Academy can reward you with the PVSA (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and/or President’s Call to Service).

Application Process

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. All prospective volunteers should begin by filling out the brief interest form that provides information to our team about your debate background, volunteering experiences, and interest. The form should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. A formal resume/CV or cover letter is not required in the application.

Eloquence staff will throughly review each application. You can expect to hear from our team within 48-72 hours. We do not maintain a stringent number of accepted volunteers.

Upon submitting, it is important for applicants to regularly check their provided email addresses to ensure they do not miss important messages. Please make sure to also regularly check spam and junk folders in case our correspondence accidentally ends up there.