EA Welcomes New Colorado Partner School
c/o Widefield High School
Eloquence Academy extends a formal welcome to Widefield High School!
Located in Security-Widefield, an unincorporated suburb of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Widefield High School is a public school serving 1,313 students in grades 9 through 12. Its student body is diverse: 43% White (non-Hispanic), 32% Hispanic/Latinx, 10% Black or African American, plus smaller proportions of other racial and ethnic groups. Due to the school’s proximity to Fort Carson Army Base, Peterson Space Force, Schriever Space Force, and NORAD, 30% of teachers are current or retired military personnel. Unfortunately, however, Widefield struggles to keep their students motivated and engaged academically. A majority of elementary schools in the Widefield 3 School District qualify for Title 1 federal funding, and the school’s standardized test proficiency in math tends to lag behind state averages.
c/o Stephanie Owen
The Widefield speech and debate program consists of a core group of 13 students, while another 10 have registered to join in the last year. Additionally, Widefield runs two debate classes during the school day with 40 students between them. These students typically join the team once the semester is over. As a result, Widefield boasts over 60 students competing in 18 events at any given time.
Our Debate-Inspired Classrooms program supports the funding or logistical needs of K-12, public, independent, magnet, charter, boarding, and homeschools in developing their own debate programs. Coach Stephanie Owen shared that Wildwood needs assistance with “National Speech & Debate Association student memberships, camaraderie and retention, and travel to further tournaments to increase student exposure to different competitions.” Widefield will receive copies of our flagship curriculum to integrate into their afterschool club and Humanities classrooms. Our goal is to qualify and send 5-10 Widefield students to the National Speech & Debate Tournament in June.
We are grateful to Stephanie and excited to see what the future holds.
###
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 2,400+ 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.
