Suncoast Credit Union

The goal of the program is to provide students with the critical thinking and communication skill sets needed to actively and effectively engage in the democratic processes of American society.

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Great Debaters III

School:
Immokalee High 
Subject:
School-wide program 
Teacher:
Jimmy Camp 
Students Impacted:
60 
Grade:
9-12 
Date:
July 28, 2023

Investors

Thank you to the following investors for funding this grant.

 

Naples Luxury Builders - $1,000.00

Naples Luxury Builders - $1,000.00

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Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 100

The Great Debaters III project has had a significant impact on the students of Immokalee High School participating in the program this year.  Traditionally, the Immokalee High School Debate Team has been a club activity until 2021 -2022 when Debate was added to the course offerings at the school. This year, Debate I and Debate II courses were offered to students. We were able to, once again, double our impact from last year with over 100 Immokalee High School students participating at some level of competition.  In addition to our own students being impacted by the program, we were able to support competitive debate throughout southwest Florida by serving as a tournament host site for more than 250 additional students.

Through the generous support of Champions for Learning and their donor Naples Luxury Builders, we were able to create an optimal practice environment for debaters to prepare for competition, send our students to regional, state, and national competitions, and host training workshops competitions at our new Innovation Center.  Debate Team members participated in more than a dozen tournaments across the state with many placing in the semi-final and final rounds.  Team members also participated in workshops throughout the season to hone their skills for competition. 

This year, our team’s accomplishments included a novice debater winning a regional debate competition and scholarship prize; representation by two members at the Great Debate, a national competition hosted by the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative in Orlando and participation in Incubate Debate' s national championship in Jacksonville.  

Five tournaments and two student workshops were hosted this year at our newly opened Innovation Center at Immokalee High School which houses our Debate program.  Our coaches also shared their talent and commitment to Debate by providing professional development opportunities to their colleagues in Collier County Public Schools.  In addition, our coaches were invited to present on how to use Debate in the classroom at the Florida Literacy Association’s state conference in Orlando and featured in a story by the Naples New-Press on Debate programs in Collier County.  

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Tournament Finals at Immokalee High

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We are at the Great Debate!

 

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Coaches learning from one another

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Last Tournament before Nationals!

 

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Let the questioning begin!

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IHS Debate Camp

 

Original Grant Overview

Goal

The goal of the program is to provide students with the critical thinking and communication skill sets needed to actively and effectively engage in the democratic processes of American society.  

 

What will be done with my students

Immokalee High School will continue to expand its highly successful Debate program in the Fall of 2023. This program will consist of classroom instruction, extra-curricular preparation/practice, and participation in local, regional, and state-wide debate competition. Additionally, we anticipate up to five students participating in the National Civics & Debate competition held in Orlando. Students will learn the fundamentals of the major styles of competitive debate such as Lincoln - Douglas, Public Forum, and Congressional. Students will learn to conduct research, think critically, and express their informed viewpoint in a civil manner.

Immokalee High School debaters will participate in a series of competitions within three different debate leagues and will host six tournaments including three regional tournaments with Incubate Debate, two regional tournaments with the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, and least one tournament with the Collier County Public Forum Debate League. In addition, we will host a regional invitational tournament promoting the Great Communicator format of debate featured by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
 

 

Benefits to my students

Participation in competitive debate was chosen as an area to expand due to its direct link to academic success and civic engagement. Robert Litan, a respected economist and public policy analyst, summarizes the benefits to students in his recent book: Resolved - Debate Can Revolutionize Education and Help Save Our Democracy. He posits that when students learn how to research, think logically, speak with civility that they gain the ability to see arguments from multiple perspectives and become better citizens. Litan's view is supported by Beth Eskin, former Director of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, when she states that “These [debate] programs help students develop problem solving, communication, teamwork and analytical skills...." Debate has been shown to enhance the probability of future student success for a diverse student population including those whose first language is one other than English as demonstrated in the writings of Bo Seo (2022) a two time World Debate champion.  

 

Budget Narrative

Immokalee High School is a Title 1 School in rural, eastern Collier County serving approximately 2000 students who have great potential, but few material resources. Grant funds would be utilized for the materials necessary for students to learn and practice oral communication skills for debate competitions, travel to various competitions throughout the state, and host tournaments at its recently opened Innovation Center.  

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 Team Supplies $400.00
2 Team Travel (Meals/Lodging) $500.00
3 Tournament Hosting (Medals/Certificates/etc...) $700.00
4 Team Shirts $400.00
  Total: $2,000.00

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Special Thanks to Our Presenting Partners

Suncoast Credit Union