DENVER URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE STUDENTS SELECTED FOR NATIONAL DEBATE OPPORTUNITY WITH NEWSWEEK

High Schoolers Will Hold a Live Debate at the World Trade Center Headquarters in New York City and Record Special Podcast Miniseries

DENVER, CO (April 13, 2023) – Four Colorado high schoolers and Denver Urban Debate League students will enjoy a unique educational opportunity this weekend in New York City as participants in a live debate hosted by Newsweek and the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues.

Alliton A. Flores Sánchez and Ruby Trejo Ontiveros from Mapleton Public Schools, Marianny Torres-Collado from West High School, and Isabella Long from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College were chosen as part of a select group of debaters from just three locations across the entire country. They will be joined and supported in New York City by their coaches Josh Hirsch and Rachel Bruce.

“We are so proud of and excited for our students who were selected, and for the educators who have helped shape them into some of the top high school debaters in the country,” said Jessica Clark, Executive Director of the Denver Urban Debate League. “Their selection is a testament to their skill, their commitment, and to the work of urban debate leagues like ours to bring these valuable educational opportunities to all young people.”

The Denver Urban Debate League (DUDL) provides fully funded competitive speech and debate opportunities for students in Denver, Aurora, and Mapleton Public Schools. With a focus on equity and full inclusion for young people from historically marginalized communities, DUDL promotes the power of speech and debate to elevate learning, literacy, and life skills which prepare youth to succeed in the information age.
​
The Denver Urban Debate League is part of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), which is partnering with histoic media organization Newsweek on this new initiative to foster civil discourse among today’s youth.

The joint initiative, called Mightier, will celebrate the adage “the pen is mightier than the sword,” beginning with a live debate on April 14 at Newsweek’s World Trade Center headquarters. In front of an audience of Newsweek journalists and executives, high school debaters from Washington, D.C., Denver, and Silicon Valley will share their perspectives on a number of issues, including affirmative action, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, immigration and climate optimism. These students were selected because of their skill and participation in NAUDL’s signature public debate series, I RESOLVE.
In conjunction with the live event, the students will also appear on Newsweek’s popular podcast The Debate. Those special episodes will be featured on the new Mightier digital content hub, which will be dedicated to youth-led discourse on the most important subjects of the day.

“The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues’ I RESOLVE series offers a unique format that highlights the power of high school debate—and student voice—in addressing pressing policy issues before a public audience. Participating students have tested their well-researched solutions before panels of civic and community leaders who make these tough policy decisions and are thrilled to bring what they’ve learned to Newsweek’s national audience,” said Rhonda Haynes, the Executive Director of NAUDL. 

The Mightier content hub will launch on April 20 and be introduced to Newsweek’s audience of 50 million monthly unique viewers.
About DUDL

Founded in 2008, the Denver Urban Debate League offers competitive speech and debate programs that break barriers for underserved students by enriching educational and personal outcomes for students of color and low-income students. DUDL exists to ensure students graduate from and excel in high school and beyond, and DUDL students become active and engaged citizens who are well versed in issues of equity and public policy, equipped to interact critically with the world around them, make a difference in their communities, and add more diverse voices to our civil discourse.

About NAUDL
The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues works with 22 partner leagues, serving over 7,000 students in more than 500 schools across the country, each year to provide debate programming that ensures students graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college and their careers. We envision the opportunity for every teen to succeed, lead, and contribute to their communities.
The I RESOLVE Public Debate Series is made possible by the support of generous members in the philanthropic community, with particular recognition to Event Sponsors Liz and Randal Sandler.

About Newsweek
Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, 90-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 50 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia. 

Media Contacts:
Jessica Clark
Executive Director, Denver Urban Debate League
[email protected]
303-871-6575 | 720-878-2776

Laura Goldberg
LBG Public Relations for Newsweek
[email protected]
+1-347-683-1859