Our Story

Where this all started

I started debating in 7th grade in La Quinta Ca (near Palm Springs). I didn’t know it then, but that activity would shape the next two decades of my life.

Debate taught me how to think, how to listen, how to construct an argument and dismantle one. It taught me to research, to speak with confidence, and to engage with ideas I disagreed with. The skills I developed in those early rounds have influenced every professional and personal decision I’ve made since.

When I got to college I kept coming back. Not to compete but to volunteer. I judged tournaments, helped coaches, and stayed connected to a community I wasn’t ready to leave. And the more time I spent volunteering, the more I saw the same problems everywhere I went.

I learned that these debate programs were often small and isolated. Resources were expensive and inconsistent. Rural schools had almost no pathway to participation. And the tools everyone was using (email chains, spreadsheets, etc) hasn’t changed in a very long time.

I knew debate could reach more students. I knew it deserved better infrastructure. So in 2017, my middle school debate coach and I decided to build it.

Starting With One Region and a Vision

NextGen Debate launched in the Palm Springs area in 2017 with a simple premise: free debate opportunities for everyone. No registration fees. No expensive curriculum packages. Just a well run program that gave students a real competitive experience.

In our first year we hosted three middle school tournaments serving roughly 50 students across four schools in the Coachella Valley. It wasn’t large. But it was free, it was high quality, and word started to spread.

By 2019 we expanded deeper into Riverside helping more than 10 schools provide free debate opportunities. Additionally, we hosted one workshop and eight tournaments for both middle and high school debaters.

Our digital infrastructure improved over COVID and helped grow our network further into Orange County. We started holding online tournaments for debaters across the nation and for the first time ever, participation became limitless.

The Mission Doesnt Stop Here

We’re just getting started.

Our immediate focus is California. Building the infrastructure for every existing debate league in the state to manage their community through NGD at no cost. From there, we’re going national.

In the next three years we plan to:

Serve over one thousand students on the NGD platform
Launch judge certification programs that create a national standard for debate judging
Expand our event calendar to include national championship events
Develop new debate formats that incorporate AI and emerging technology.

Debate is long overdue for a modern overhaul. We’re here to build it.

Thank You

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for caring about what we’re building. NextGen Debate exists because debate changed my life and I believe it can change a lot more lives if we remove the barriers standing in the way.

I’d love to connect. Reach out anytime at anthony@nextgendebate.org

– Anthony

Helps Us Out

Please consider helping us out. Our program operates through volunteers and micro donations.

Donate

Help us keep the momentum going and reach our goals faster. We are a 501(c)3 so every donation is tax deductible.

Volunteer

Check out all the volunteer councils that structure our debate community. You can also submit a general volunteer inquiry.