Debate Club offers Parliamentary style debate in which 2 teams of 3 students debate for either Pro (Affirmative) or Con (Opposition) sides. This format is the most popular and versatile debate format used by middle and high school students throughout the United States. Debating teaches students to investigate new ideas, develop critical thinking skills, and open their minds to different viewpoints. Debate topics range from current events such as presidential election of 2016 and climate change to classic debate topics such as gun control and death penalty.

In Debate Club, students learn:

  • Critical Reading /Thinking
  • Logical Thinking
  • Research and Analysis
  • Organization Skills
  • Presentation Skills
  • Public Speaking
  • Note Taking
  • Impromptu Thinking/Speaking
  • Current Events

How does debate help students excel?
By Julie Yi

President John F. Kennedy said, “I think debating in high school and college a most valuable training whether for politics, the law, business, or for service on community committees such as the PTA and the League of Women Voters. A good debater must not only study material in support of his own case, but he must also, of course, thoroughly analyze the expected arguments of his opponent....The give and take of debating, the testing of ideas, is essential to democracy. I wish we had a good deal more debating in our institutions than we do now" (Freedom and Union, 7).

The words President Kennedy spoke decades ago are resonating with contemporary parents and education specialists as the popularity of debate clubs grows by leaps and bounds.  At education centers throughout California, educators are quickly adding debate and essay programs to their typical after-school offerings of homework support, tutoring, and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation classes.  Why the sudden rapid growth?

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