Montgomery Area Debate League

The Montgomery Area Debate League facilitates leadership development and academic growth through Speech and Debate. We host monthly community debates to raise awareness, educate, and advocate for community improvement. Our approach to developing the debate skillsets of the youth who we serve involves a multi-step process that enhances critical thinking, builds self-esteem and confidence, and strengthens the relationships youth have with adult mentors and their respective school systems. It is our belief that exposure to debate provides benefits that are intangible as well as those that are quantifiable. Some of these benefits include:

• Provides practice in developing sound and logical arguments.
• It gives students an opportunity to practice speaking in public.
• The experience cultivates strong critical thinkers, great initiative, and leadership.
• Expands the child’s mind, increase their understanding of important issues, encourage social, personal, and political awareness; as well as, conflict resolution and leadership.

At a time when our country, communities, and schools are more divided than ever before, it is paramount that we teach our youth how to civilly disagree, craft data-driven arguments, and become solution-oriented problem solvers. In addition to the civic benefits for the whole community, learners work on skills that make them highly adaptable and increasingly employable for the jobs of tomorrow.