NAUDL 2020-21 Annual Report

I RESOLVE
NAUDL’s “I RESOLVE Public Debate Series” seeks to showcase the power of
high school debate while exploring some of the most pressing issues in our
society through the perspective, voice and values of the next generation of
leaders – high school debaters.
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In 2020, NAUDL presented “I RESOLVE” for the first time with five league
partners: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley, each
one introducing a facet of the 2020-21 National Policy Debate Topic: criminal
justice reform. The 90-minute virtual programs are centered around student
arguments and subsequent feedback, discussion and Q&A from a panel of
distinguished civic and community leaders. Participants are joined by a virtual
audience of student peers, along with school district and league leaders. Urban
Debate Network donors, partners and champions are also invited to attend.
While conceived well before the 2020 national inflection points, spurred by
the Covid-19 pandemic and the calls for social justice and racial equality in
our country, the basis of I RESOLVE became even more significant at their
onset. Now more than ever, we believe in the power of amplifying voices and
fostering open dialogue in the name of sustained change for the future.
“I will say how extraordinarily proud I am of our debaters. It’s such a critically
important skill. We need your leadership, we need your critical thinking
ability, we need your teamwork, we need your problem-solving ability. And
this topic is one that is near and dear to my heart.”
– Arne Duncan, Former Secretary of U.S. Education and
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective
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