Competitive
Speech and Debate

About Elementary & Middle School Debate

In 2005, BUDL expanded our programming beyond high school, and it has been incredibly successful. Hundreds of 3rd through 8th graders across the city find their way to speech and debate teams that help them answer important questions about the world — How does public policy affect my community? What can we do about it? — and themselves — Am I smart? Is school for me?

Teacher-coaches hold two after-school practices a week, and then, we gather at awesome competitions one Saturday a month to test our skills and celebrate our learning.

About High School Debate

For more than 20 years, BUDL has bridge the opportunity gap in academic extracurricular programming between Baltimore and its neighboring counties. Through that time, we have evolved a lot, but we always offer high school scholars a space to develop their voice, purpose, and power. Today, high schoolers meet twice a week after-school to learn about a wide variety of topics, discuss them with friends, and take their knowledge out into the world at local and regional competitions and to the offices of state and local politicians. We make sure high schoolers see their learning as connected to the change they want to see in their community.