Thirty-four CASE Debates students joined other young debaters at the Houston Urban Debate League (HUDL) Summer Institute last week to develop their public speaking skills and learn more about the theory of debate. The CASE Debates students represented seven schools, three districts and two charter schools in Harris County.

In their first year at the week-long institute, CASE Debates students chose between three different types of labs: the General Lab, where students learned about research and the fundamentals of debate, or the more advanced World Schools and Policy Debate labs which teach students how to construct arguments and counter plans.

CASE Debates is a program which pairs a successful, established debate model created by HUDL with the Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids, or CASE for Kids, HCDE’s afterschool intermediary.

“Debate provides students with critical thinking, research and public speaking skills,” says CASE for Kids Project Coordinator Toni Candis. “They also learn how to collaborate well with others and engage in civil discourse, while also gaining useful tools that can be used in preparation of college and career.”

Among this year’s attendees was promising young debater Queen Eche. The Kerr High School junior has been participating in debate since her freshman year and can speak at an impressive 220 words per minute, a debate technique that takes skill and many hours of practice.

Eche and her partner participate in Policy Debate and joined the CASE Debates program in 2017 to gain more opportunities to attend tournaments in the area. Eche plans on carrying her debate skills to college and eventually use them as a criminal justice attorney.

For more information about CASE Debates, call 713-696-1331 or visit www.afterschoolzone.org.