Debate Team

Registration for Debate will be on the Scots After School (SAS) registration form. 

The debate program is a voluntary after-school program in which students attend regular meetings to learn about and practice debate. They attend tournaments four times a year, at which the students debate in teams of two against other teams from various Minneapolis and St. Paul middle schools. Each year we focus on a single subject so students can spend more time practicing debate skills and delve more deeply into the issue at hand.

Involvement in debate can be tremendously beneficial. In addition to learning good argumentation skills, which are valuable in both academic and real-world settings, students develop skills in reading and public speaking. Students have been shown to raise their reading scores by up to two grade levels in one year of debate (contact the Urban Debate League for the source of this research).

The Urban Debate League is a local nonprofit organization that organizes the tournaments and hires and supports coaches at each school involved in debate.  They specifically focus on the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and encourage participation from a wide range of students. You can find more information on the UDL by going to http://www.augsburg.edu/urbandebateleague/index.html.

The debate season begins in October and extends through March.  Please inquire with Leon Rogalla for further information.