In August 2008, the Bay Area Urban Debate Commission (BAUDC), the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, and the Oakland Unified School District launched the Bay Area Urban Debate League. Dozens of young people in the public schools of Oakland joined brand new debate teams and – often for the first time in their lives – began taking passionate stands on key issues, rigorously researching evidence, and gaining the tools they need to succeed in college and become leaders in their communities.

In the following years, the BAUDC has partnered with the school districts of San Francisco and Emeryville to found debate teams at five more schools, substantially expanding the program’s reach. Through these partnerships, in the past two years more than 300 students in the Bay Area have participated in debate.  Most of them have regularly given up their weekends to argue for hours about policy change, making massive investments of time to sharpen their skills and improve their chances of success at debate tournaments and in their later lives.

BAUDL is an affiliate of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues.