EA Welcomes New Missouri School Partner
c/o Carl J. Stafford
Eloquence Academy extends a formal welcome to University Academy!
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, University Academy is a Title 1 public school serving 1,091 students from transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade. 100% of students qualify for the free lunch program and reside in the toughest zip codes within the Kansas City metropolitan area. Despite the obstacles students face daily, they engage fully in a rigorous academic curriculum and demonstrate a strong commitment to learning. Coach Carl J. Stafford shared that his students are “hungry for success and extremely dedicated… our squads [just] experienced a record-breaking season within our team’s history.”
Now in their fifth year, both the middle and high school debate clubs at University Academy are joined under the umbrella of the School of Advocacy (SOA). SOA, as a school within a school, offers real-world learning opportunities, dual college credit courses, student scholarships, community service projects, and career pathway opportunities through community connections. WIth a focus on social-emotional learning, parental involvement, and student leadership, SOA is dedicated to cultivating young leaders and change agents to make a lasting impact within their communities.
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. As Carl explained, “we need help with resource packages, debate brief subscriptions, software programs, books, and basic classroom supplies.” University Academy will receive copies of our flagship curriculum to integrate into their afterschool club and Humanities classrooms. Later this year, we hope to issue a microgrant for University Academy. Through the comprehensive support afforded by our program, Carl aims to send 45 University Academy students to regional and state tournaments in the spring.
We are especially excited to partner with University Academy as our first partner school in Missouri.
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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 2,500+ students across 35 states and 17 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, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
