New Haven Urban Debate League (UDL)

Our Mission:

The New Haven Urban Debate League believes in the transformative qualities of public speaking and discussion that are inherent to debate, and is committed to nurturing these life skills in New Haven middle and high schools. Practicing consistent community outreach, UDL holds weekly after school coaching sessions at 14 New Haven schools, and hosts 3-4 tournaments per semester that allow these students the chance to practice and demonstrate what they’ve learned in the classroom. UDL also coordinates with other debate leagues to allow students to travel within Connecticut to attend tournaments outside of New Haven. Above all else, UDL is committed to giving students a stage on which to present their ideas and be heard, and we believe that aim is in line with the Dwight Hall value of commitment to the greater community.

Our Activities:

UDL Local Tournaments
We host tournaments for New Haven middle and high school students 3-4 times per semester. These tournaments allow students to practice their debating skills and meet students from other schools. Debate rounds are judged by trained Yale coaches.

Yale Summer Debate Program
Every year, we hold a debate program for students in middle and high school at Yale. Last year, this program had 100 students, and was led by a team of 13 coaches. Many of the students attending this program attend for a significantly reduced cost, or no cost at all.

Advanced Debate Institute
We coach experienced debate students from our programs via Zoom every Thursday.

Weekly Debate Coaching
UDL coaches at 14+ New Haven Public Schools every single week. These coaching practices teach students parliamentary debate and public speaking skills for 1-1.5 hours per week. Coaching is led by Yale students, but no prior debate is experience is required. We train on our coaches on everything they need.

Travel Tournaments
We bring low-income New Haven students to national circuit parliamentary tournaments across the country. Many students attend these tournaments for a reduced cost or no cost at all. They are accompanied by trained Yale coaches who work with them during the school year.

Mission

The New Haven Urban Debate League believes in the transformative qualities of public speaking and discussion that are inherent to debate, and is committed to nurturing these life skills in New Haven middle and high schools. Practicing consistent community outreach, UDL holds weekly after school coaching sessions at 15+ New Haven schools, and hosts 3-4 tournaments per semester that allow these students the chance to practice and demonstrate what they’ve learned in the classroom. UDL also coordinates with other debate leagues to allow students to travel within Connecticut to attend tournaments outside of New Haven. Above all else, UDL is committed to giving students a stage on which to present their ideas and be heard, and we believe that aim is in line with the Dwight Hall value of commitment to the greater community.

Student Leaders

Savan Parikh – Co-Coordinator/Co-President Maya Mufson – Co-Coordinator/Co-President

Activities

Tournaments Direct Service We host tournaments for New Haven middle and high school students 3-4 times per semester. These tournaments allow students to practice their debating skills and meet students from other schools. Debate rounds are judged by trained Yale coaches. Urban Debate League Speech Direct Service We coach students at weekly online practices where they learn how to create 7-10 minute speeches in the Original Oratory and Informative Speaking categories, and students present their speeches at our UDL tournaments. Weekly Debate Coaching Direct Service UDL coaches at 15+ New Haven Public Schools every single week. These coaching practices teach students parliamentary debate and public speaking skills for 1-1.5 hours per week. Coaching is led by Yale students, but no prior debate is experience is required. We train our coaches on everything they need. Travel Tournaments Direct Service We bring New Haven Public High Schools students to national circuit parliamentary tournaments across the country, from California to New Jersey. All NHPS students attend these tournaments at zero cost. They are accompanied by UDL-Yale coaches who act as chaperones, mentors, and coaches during the tournament. UDL Local Tournaments Direct Service We host tournaments for New Haven middle and high school students 3-4 times per semester. These tournaments allow students to practice their debating skills and meet students from other schools. Debate rounds are judged by trained Yale coaches. Yale Summer Debate Program Direct Service Every year, we hold a debate program for students in middle and high school. Last year, this program had 12 students per class, with 15 coaches leading the camp. Many of the students were New Haven Public High School students or attended this program at a significantly reduced/free cost. Advanced Debate Institute Direct Service We coach experienced debate students who would be otherwise unable to attend our weekly in-person practices via Zoom every Monday. UDL Local Tournaments 2 Direct Service We host tournaments for New Haven middle and high school students 3-4 times per semester. These tournaments allow students to practice their debating skills and meet students from other schools. Debate rounds are judged by trained Yale coaches. Travel Tournaments 2 Direct Service We provide an opportunity for low-income New Haven students to compete at national circuit parliamentary tournaments across the country. Many students attend these tournaments for a reduced cost or no cost at all, representing a rare chance to advance their skills and knowledge base. They are accompanied by trained Yale coaches who work with them during the school year. Weekly Debate Coaching Direct Service UDL coaches at 14+ New Haven Public Schools every single week. These coaching practices teach students parliamentary debate and public speaking skills for 1-1.5 hours per week. Coaching is led by Yale students, but no prior debate is experience is required. We train on our coaches on everything they need. Advanced Debate Institute Direct Service We coach experienced debate students who would be otherwise unable to attend our weekly in-person practices via Zoom every Thursday. UDL Local Tournaments Direct Service We host tournaments for New Haven middle and high school students 3-4 times per semester. These tournaments allow students to practice their debating skills and meet students from other schools. Debate rounds are judged by trained Yale coaches. Yale Summer Debate Program Direct Service Every year, we hold a debate program for students in middle and high school at Yale. Last year, this program had 12- students, and was led by a team of 15 coaches. Many of the students attending this program attend for a significantly reduced cost, or no cost at all. Travel Tournaments Direct Service We bring low-income New Haven students to national circuit parliamentary tournaments across the country. Many students attend these tournaments for a reduced cost or no cost at all. They are accompanied by trained Yale coaches who work with them during the school year. Weekly Debate Coaching 2 Direct Service UDL coaches at 14+ New Haven Public Schools every single week. These coaching practices teach students parliamentary debate and public speaking skills for 1-1.5 hours per week. Coaching is led by Yale students, but no prior debate is experience is required. We train on our coaches on everything they need. Weekly Coaching Direct Service We coach at 12 New Haven County Schools each week. We encourage our students to think critically and engage with topics critical to debate. Monthly City-Wide Tournament Direct Service We host a monthly debate tournament at Yale. Each tournament is attended by about 50 students, and free food and refreshments are provided. Coolidge Cup Tournament Direct Service We have partnered with the Coolidge Foundation to host a Coolidge Qualifier tournament. Students from all over the Northeast region will travel to Yale for the chance to qualify for one of the most prestigious debate tournaments of the year. Travel Tournaments Direct Service We bring low-income New Haven students to national circuit parliamentary debate tournaments across the country. Thanks to our fundraising, many students are able to attend at little or no cost. They travel with trained Yale coaches, who support and mentor them throughout the competition. Advanced Debate Institute Direct Service Every week, we run Zoom coaching for experienced debaters who can?t make our in-person practices. Weekly Debate Coaching Direct Service UDL coaches at 14+ New Haven Public Schools every single week. These coaching practices teach students parliamentary debate and public speaking skills for 1-1.5 hours per week. Coaching is led by Yale students, but no prior debate is experience is required. We train on our coaches on everything they need. Yale Summer Debate Program Direct Service Every year, we hold a debate program for students in middle and high school at Yale. Last year, this program had around 90 students, and was led by a team of 16 coaches. Many of the students attending this program attend for a significantly reduced cost, or no cost at all.

How Others Get Involved

You can find us every Monday at 6:30pm in the Dwight Hall Ednet Room. Otherwise, please just email us at newhavenudl@gmail.com!