It may seem hard to believe, but in 2007, there was exactly one high school in the Houston Independent School District offering debate to its students. So two Houston lawyers, convinced by their own experience as students that debate develops critical thinking skills and engages students in learning, wrote an editorial calling on Houstonians to restore this educational opportunity to all of Houston's diverse communities. Houstonians, as they always do, answered the call.

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The Houston Urban Debate League, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of debate, formed an innovative public-private partnership with HISD. After a decade working with HISD, HUDL formed a parallel partnership with the Harris County Department of Education to bring debate to even more schools. 

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Some of us are former debaters. Some of us were debate moms and dads who saw what this activity does for young minds. Some of us just believe in making educational opportunity available for everyone. All of us love the kids we serve.

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Over the last decade, we've served thousands of Houston-area students. We're now in more than forty high schools and a dozen middle schools. We've awarded more than a hundred thousand dollars in college scholarships. We've connected inner-city kids to professional mentors and educational opportunities. And every step of the way we've had one goal in mind: to help the future leaders of this great city find their voices.