Yesterday, Eloquence Academy hosted an Intro to Debate Seminar for 30 high school students and pre-professionals at the City Tutors (CT). The program was an extension of our previous Intro to Debate Seminars at Middlebury College, Tomales High School, and Trinidad Union School. “What is Speech & Debate?” was made possible by generous grant support from the Hershey Company and Youth Service America.

Founded in 2013, CT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the educational subway of New York, providing free tutoring and career mentorship for historically underserved students citywide. CT takes pride in supporting K-12 students, college learners, adults working toward their GED, and English language learners across all five boroughs. In particular, our seminar drew students from Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Kingsborough Community College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, and Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy.

The seminar began with icebreakers and a short keynote from Chief Executive Officer Spencer Chaisanguanthum about the positive impacts of debate, both anecdotal and statistical. Students then watched a short debate demonstration between Service Learning Fellow Daniel Gibson and New York Regional Director Jordyn Rubman on the merits of social media. Daniel and Jordyn demonstrated the basic format of a round, the importance of being civil and respectful, and techniques for responding to an argument on the fly. Following the demonstration and a brief question-and-answer segment, students were placed into smaller groups led by Daniel, Jordyn, and Spencer, as well as our team members Ishaan Ahsan, Aaron Choi, Vedant Misra, and Shakthi Prabhakaran. Students were guided through their first round on the topic of whether standardized testing should be banned in schools.

Based on responses collected through the post-program survey, the results were energizing. Students formed meaningful relationships, strengthened their communication skills, and developed an enthusiasm for public speaking. All expressed interest in joining or starting a debate program at their school. In his closing remarks, Spencer encouraged students to seek out debate opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. He emphasized that the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage respectfully with differing perspectives is valuable in school, work, and personal interactions alike.

We are grateful to the CT team and Partnerships Program Coordinators Michael Chin and Garri Rivkin and are proud of what their students accomplished.

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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy offers debate classes, summer camps, workshops, tournaments, in-school programs, and online resources for 2,200+ students across 35 states and 15 countries. Ultimately, EA aims to prepare youth for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact through the transferable skills gained from debate. Follow EA on Instagram and YouTube at @eloquenceacademy.