Flexible & customizable opportunities for primary and secondary schools to support a debate program
Debate-Inspired Classrooms
Overview
Eloquence Academy makes starting and maintaining a debate program easier.
From hiring a coach to maintaining student interest to traveling to tournaments, debate is a costly endeavor. It is therefore no surprise that more than 85% of public schools across the United States lack a debate program. Even when a debate program takes shape, it is hard to maintain, requiring a multi-faceted approach similar to running a business: careful management of resources, investing in participants, and securing continued teacher support.
By investing in the specific funding or logistical needs of K-12, public, independent, magnet, charter, boarding, and homeschools, we ensure that debate is attainable for every student. We offer a combination of curriculum, tournament registration assistance, direct financial support through microgrants, teacher professional development, and most frequently, coaching both on-site at the school and online.
Program Eligibility
✔️ Your school serves students in grades 4th through 12th
✔️ Any part of the world
✔️ No fees or tuition for any school-based programs
Schools Programs Office
The widest-reaching of our three primary programs, school programs empower educators to use our plethora of resources to spark curiosity and creativity, promote cultural understanding, and foster an empowered, civic-minded citizenry.
Build A Flourishing Debate Team
Our network of schools is lively, diverse, and passionate about debate. We support each school through flexible partnerships and personalized instructional opportunities.
Partnership Options
Coaching
Eloquence Academy faculty members deliver synchronous debate coaching either as a daytime elective or through an afterschool club. Coaching is offered in a virtual or in-person format, and at any frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.). Schools are generally expected to coordinate the time at which their students will receive the coaching, and ensure that all students can join on a personal device or shared camera at the front of the classroom.
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If virtual, a videoconferencing link will be provided by Eloquence Academy. Our team members are happy to assist with technology issues on both ends. Please note that our coaches will use the same materials as in the “curriculum & resource integration” partnership, but may have more extensive experience in delivery.
Curriculum
Schools receive a copy of our flagship debate curriculum, access to our resource hub, a curated newsletter, and assistance from our staff on best methods for integrating debate into Humanities, English, and History classrooms. Teachers are welcomed to reach out and meet with Eloquence Academy ambassadors if they have any questions about the curriculum or newsletter materials.
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At 8am on each Monday of the school year, a debate curriculum package will be emailed to school administrator(s) and teacher(s). The package will include a full copy of powerpoint slides, any accompanying materials (worksheets, videos, graphic organizers, etc.), suggested models for integration, and instructional advice. We will also share our exclusive newsletter curated on a weekly basis to include the most relevant current events and academic research on a given debate topic. Please note that this model does not involve synchronous instruction from an Eloquence Academy faculty member.
Microgrants
Annual microgrants from $100 to $1,000 are awarded to schools that demonstrate need and will use the financial support to take their burgeoning debate programs to the next, increasingly impactful level. Additionally, we simplify the elaborate process of registering for a debate tournament by coordinating student contact information, monitoring deadlines, and assisting with data entry.
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Each year, Eloquence Academy partner schools are welcomed to apply for a microgrant of anywhere between $100-$1000. The funding can be used for a variety of purposes, including National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) membership fees, tournament fees, materials, supplies, clothing, or anything else that is debate-related. We typically prefer schools that fund tangible objects or items (clothing, supplies, etc.) which extend beyond one-time use, as opposed to an online resource about a specific debate topic that is only relevant for a month. The microgrant application period opens on September 1. We budget a fixed amount of $35,000 each year and distribute accordingly; applications remain open and are accepted on a rolling basis until all funding is distributed. Applicants are asked to provide background information about their school and a compelling reason as to why funding is necessary.
Eloquence Academy recognizes that registering for debate tournaments can be a confusing and tiresome process, whether it be coordinating judges, paying entry fees, or entering student information. At any point in their partnership, schools may ask to register their students under the ''Eloquence Academy'' name for an online debate tournament. While we will directly pass on the registration fees and judging obligations to the partner school, we will assist with all other registration processes and not surcharge or profit off sending students to tournaments.
Rural Debate
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Rural Debate *
In 2023, we announced a ten-year strategic effort to bring our instructional programs into census-designated rural schools.
Educational disparities are especially pronounced in geographically rural areas, which are characterized by a significant gap in the attainment of a 4-year college education, vastly higher rates of childhood poverty, and dramatically less funding than urban counterparts. Twice as many urban schools have a debate program; rural debate programs lack mentorship, resources, and are geographically isolated from debate “hotspots” with higher concentrations of tournament opportunities and student participants..
We believe that digital connectivity is a valuable asset that can be leveraged to bolster rural connection and education quality. In particular, a virtual debate ecosystem is becoming a newfound reality for rural students. The Covid-19 pandemic transformed student tech access due to the demand for virtual learning to prevent outbreaks. Schools modernized their virtual learning systems and provided students with a personal learning device. The American Rescue Plan allocated a historic $122 billion in funding that was used through Fall 2024 to invest in learning devices, yielding a 23% increase in students with a device. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission has invested an unprecedented $20 billion to increase internet access in rural areas, with the objective of providing rural areas with 25/3Mbps reliable connection. Meanwhile, nearly all debate tournaments moved online during the pandemic and several coaches in the community have voiced a desire to hold hybrid tournaments to increase competition and equity. This demonstrates both the proof of concept and a general momentum to continue online debate.
Core Values
Charters — Flexibility — Network
Flexibility
Collaborating with your school to determine the best partnership model
Each school will participate in a unique combination of programs and maintain a distinct timeline of partnership based on their size, resources, and needs. Additionally, schools can seek to integrate as much debate as they wish. Some will focus more on public speaking, research, and argumentation, only touching upon debate lightly as necessary to frame the aforementioned concepts. Others hope for students to gain mastery of technicalities and compete at national debate tournaments. These choices will affect the charter and determination of partnership length.
Charters
A delineated path towards success
All schools craft a charter that guides their partnership. It will consist of a shared Google Document between Eloquence Academy and the school. The charter will include a stated purpose of the partnership, the preliminary timeframe of partnership, an agreed schedule for coachings (if necessary), and the match between our coach to school. Schools are encouraged to bring specific questions or considerations as we construct the charter, as charters are inherently collaborative. While charters can be edited, it is ideal to create as strong and detailed a charter as possible to begin with.
Network
A community of integrity and compassion
Throughout the year, we plan intermittent debate-inspired professional development workshops for teachers. We also host monthly interschool events for students, including virtual game nights, intramural tournaments, and complimentary college admissions webinars. These opportunities unite our national community and connect our rural communities to urban ones. All partner schools receive a calendar invite and communication for these opportunities.
A Lively CommunityOur Schools Network
We are proud to support the development of debate programs at over 73 primary and secondary schools across the globe. Representing a range of student bodies and academic settings, we strive to meet schools where they are at, building personalized, effective partnerships.
1. Alden High School
2. Amador Valley High School
3. American Heritage Broward School
4. Arcata High School
5. Avenues: The World School
6. BASIS Scottsdale
7. Beaver Country Day School
8. Carrollton High School
9. Centennial High School
10. Chilliwack Secondary School
11. CMS Southlake Junior
12. Colonial Academy
13. Columbus High School
14. Corona Fundamental Intermediate School
15. Covington High School
16. Cristo Ray De La Selle High School
17. Dilley High School
18. Dwight D. Eisenhower High School
19. Empire High School
20. Fairview High School
21. Fieldstone Middle School
22. George Washington Carver High School
23. Germantown Friends School
24. Happy Valley High School
25. IN-Tech Academy
26. Jackson High School
27. Jay Pritzker Academy
28. Joaquin Miller Middle School
29. Joseph Martin Middle School
30. Kaabe Schools - Berbera
31. Kaabe Schools - Jigjiga Yar
32. Kaabe Schools - Masalaha
33. Kaabe Schools - New Hargeisa
34. Kent School
35. King’s Academy Middle School
36. Knox Junior High School
37. LaPorte High School
38. Livingston High School
39. Mattole Unified School
40. Middlebury Union Middle School
41. Montclair Kimberly Academy
42. Morris Hills School
43. Neenah Nigh School
44. Newton North High School
45. North Allegheny High School
46. North East Middle School
47. North Surrey Secondary School
48. Owyhee High School
49. Papaya Valley High School
50. Peak to Peak Charter School
51. Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School
52. Skyline High School
53. Sonora Elementary School
54. Stratford Milpitas School
55. Stratford Osgood School
56. Success Academy - Bronx
57. Success Academy - Harlem East
58. Success Academy - Ozone Park
59. Sylvan Hills High School
60. Telra Institute
61. Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter
62. Tomales High School
63. Trinidad Union School
64. University Academy MS/HS
65. Upper St. Claire High School
66. Valdosta High School
67. Valley Christian High School
68. Vergennes Middle School
69. West Lincoln Middle School
70. West Windsor Plainsboro South
71. Weston High School
72. Widefield High School
73. Winston Churchill Middle School
74. Valdosta High School
75. Valley Christian High School
The schools in our network share resources and knowledge, developing a support system that extends beyond any debate round.
Frequently Asked Questions
What constitutes a school year?
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Eloquence Academy defines a school year as beginning as early as September 1 and ending as late as June 30. Eloquence Academy will abide by that standard school calendar with no sessions during any federal holidays, Election Day, and a week-long break over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Additionally, due to the large number of school partners and for ease of scheduling, there are no “make-up” lessons offered on a week in which a federal holiday created a cancelled class. Over the course of the year, the number of holidays usually balances such that the class sections meeting on each different weekday will have met the same number of times total.
The aforementioned is meant to serve as a guideline, but we recognize that there are variations to the school calendar based on district. We are flexible in accommodating those dates. We will work with schools to determine the timeframe while crafting the charter. A partnership can start and end at any point based on the school’s needs and interests. For example, with some schools, we have pioneered a one-week, condensed elective program for students. With other schools, we extend our partnership beyond one year. Schools may also choose to end a partnership earlier than the scheduled end date, or determine an end date based on the first several coachings. We encourage schools to be as communicative as possible as we craft the timeframe.
When are partnerships available?
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Absent a written agreement to the contrary, all partnerships are scheduled to conclude by June 30. Schools may begin partnerships during the middle of the year. However, even if a school starts later than September 1, the partnership will still end by June 30.
If a school wishes to renew and create a multi-year partnership, they will be asked to confirm in writing by June 15. If they do not reach out by that point, they will automatically be offboarded from the internal system and have to externally relaunch a partnership during the following year.
How do I register?
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Even if you are not sure that working with Eloquence Academy will be entirely feasible, we encourage you to reach out. We are always happy to answer questions and/or explore the options with you. Should our program not be a good fit, we are happy to provide recommendations to external organizations and debate leagues with similar opportunities. Historically, we have had school administrators reach out, unknowing if their students would participate in public speaking, and evolve into multi-year debate programs with hundreds of participants.
