A New Day for School Debate as Bill of Rights Institute & Incubate Debate Join Forces

More than 76,000 teachers will now have access to nonpartisan program that expands access to debate and encourages viewpoint diversity.

ARLINGTON, VA, UNITED STATES, September 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- School debate should be free, fair, and honest, where all students and viewpoints are welcome.

And it will be again, thanks to a new partnership between the Bill of Rights Institute and Incubate Debate.

The Bill of Rights Institute, a national leader in civics and history education, today announced the acquisition of Incubate Debate, a rapidly-expanding school debate organization that prioritizes free speech, viewpoint diversity, and access for all students.

The new partnership will give millions of new students access to school debate, while removing the polarizing partisanship affecting many school debate competitions today.

Incubate Debate was founded in 2019 by former national high school debate champion James Fishback over concerns that many students lacked access to debate, and that debate competitions were increasingly politicized and discouraging diverse viewpoints. His 2023 article in The Free Press, At High School Debates, Debate is No Longer Allowed, created a national conversation on how political biases in debate competitions could harm students, blunt the free exchange of ideas, and influence results.

Through Incubate Debate, Fishback and his team have held free competitions in several states to increase student access to debate. All viewpoints are welcome at Incubate Debate competitions, and student arguments are judged purely on merit.

“High school debate had a profound influence on my own life, and I want all students to have the same opportunity,” Fishback said. “Debate should teach young people how to find their voices, not how to silence their voices. We have built a rigorous program at Incubate Debate that welcomes all ideas, and we are excited to see the program grow with the Bill of Rights Institute.”

The Bill of Rights Institute has a long history of supporting free speech and viewpoint diversity. The Institute offers point-counterpoint lessons, Socratic resources, and the Think the Vote website, where students across the country debate current events.

Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb said the Institute’s work with Incubate Debate will focus on two core principles:

1) All students should have access to debate

The Bill of Rights Institute works with more than 76,000 civics and history teachers who reach 7.6 million students per year. These teachers and students will now have access to Incubate Debate resources and programs free of charge.

To encourage in-class debate and motivate student engagement, the Bill of Rights Institute and Incubate Debate have released a free debate toolkit to equip teachers to bring the power of debate directly into social studies and language arts classroom conversations.

All students, regardless of ability, background, school budgets, or ZIP Code will now have the opportunity to participate in debate.

2) Diverse viewpoints and free speech are encouraged

Incubate Debate competitions prioritize and encourage free speech and viewpoint diversity. Arguments are assessed solely on merit and skill, free from the partisanship that has too often plagued debate competitions.

At Incubate Debate competitions, all student voices will be heard, and all students have a chance to succeed.

“America was built on diverse viewpoints and the free exchange of ideas, and these must be central values for school debate,” Bobb said. “Through Incubate Debate, students and teachers nationwide will now have access to a debate alternative that welcomes all students and all voices. We look forward to expanding Incubate Debate’s programs and resources across the country, so all students can develop the research, critical thinking, and civil discourse skills debate helps build.”

The Bill of Rights Institute is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that teaches civics and history through market-leading curricula and educational programs for teachers and students. To learn more about Bill of Rights Institute programs and resources, visit www.mybri.org.

Founded in 2019, Incubate Debate teaches young Americans the power and practice of debate in classrooms, on college campuses, and at no-cost debate tournaments. To learn more, visit www.incubatedebate.org.

Kevin Hart
Bill of Rights Institute
+1 202-674-1237
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