Youth Debate Bowl

SLIDE ONE

Hello and welcome to orientation for the Youth Debate Bowl! My name is Aubrie, and I’m a former 3-year Gallaudet debater. Gallaudet’s Youth Debate program is a joint collaboration between the Center for Democracy in Deaf America and Gallaudet Youth Programs- we have some awesome topics for you this year, and we hope you’re excited! 

SLIDE TWO

This orientation video will cover everything you need to know to be successful in the qualifying stage for this year’s tournament- we’ll cover the schedule, propositions, how your submissions will be scored by our judges, important rules and guidelines, where to find this year’s bibliography, a few tips, and how to reach out to us if you have any questions. Feel free to pause the video if you need extra time to read the slides.

SLIDE THREE

When do submissions open, and if you advance to the semifinals, when will you find out? Take a look! *look at slide: 

Submission Period Begins: Friday, September 5th, 2025

Qualifying Submission Period Ends: Friday, October 31st, 2025

Semifinalists Advancement Decision Release: by Friday, November 7th, 2025

Semifinal Rounds: Week of December 1st – 5th, 2025

Finalists Announcement: By December 13th, 2025

In-Person Finals: Thursday, February 26, 2026

We will post reminders of the deadline on social media, though adding that to your calendar is also a good idea.

When it is time, we will reach out to you with further information if you’ve been selected to advance. 

SLIDE FOUR

So what exactly do you need to do to qualify? Submit a 3-5 minute video of your speech where you take either the affirmative- agreeing- or the negative- disagreeing- side of the topic for your age group. You get to pick whether you want to agree or disagree this time! Do your best at convincing us to side with you using stories, logic, and evidence. Your submissions will be posted via a YouTube link in your registration form online. Please make sure judges can review your submission by setting your video to unlisted or public.

All deaf and hard-of-hearing youth are encouraged to participate regardless of signing ability- though if you choose to speak, we do ask that you caption your video or provide a transcript.

SLIDE FIVE

I’ve kept you in suspense long enough.. Without further ado, here are this year’s propositions! 

For high schoolers, you all will be debating this.  *look at slide – In the United States, the benefits of using artificial intelligence in K-12 education outweigh the harms.*

For our middle schoolers, you will be debating this. *look at slide – Phone-free schools should be mandated.*

We hope you already have some opinions and are ready to get to researching and writing- we can’t wait to see what you do with these topics!

SLIDE SIX

On to how you’ll be evaluated. Remember, those of you who make it to the final stage win a free trip here to DC for our final round- so do your best to make sure you have all of these things in your speech- I’ll elaborate a little more on the next slide too.

Your rubric has four categories- arrangement, delivery, invention, and style, and overall persuasiveness. Invention and style make up about half that rubric- the next slide is a cheat sheet of everything you need to do. If you want to see a full copy of the rubric, it’s available anytime online in the Youth Debate Rules and Guidelines. 

SLIDE SEVEN

And here’s your cheat sheet!

For your introduction, make sure you have an attention-getting device, or a hook, to do exactly that- get our attention. This could be a story, statistic, or something else. It should help you build common ground with your audience. You should also have a clear thesis statement that tells us which side of the argument you’re taking. You should also give us a quick preview or plan of the rest of your argument, kind of like an essay.

For the body of your speech, make sure to clearly identify the problem and the cause of the problem in the proposition. Present a solution- the solution in this case being to either implement the policy suggested in the proposition, or explain why we shouldn’t adopt that policy. Please note that while there is no rule against proposing an alternative solution, you only have 3-5 minutes. Spend your time wisely and focus on convincing us for or against the proposition as best as possible. 

You should also identify why someone may disagree with your position and rebut that opposing viewpoint- in other words, tell us why that opposing viewpoint is maybe incorrect, uninformed, or harmful in light of additional context. 

In your conclusion, you should summarize the key points you made, restate your position, and share any final thoughts- “mic drop” statements are encouraged. 

SLIDE EIGHT

A brief reminder about rules for this stage- you may use one electronic device for notes during your video if needed- though we highly encourage that you do not read from a device. No one else may be present during your recording. You need to stay within the 3-5 minute time limit, and your video must be submitted in the registration form via a viewable YouTube link. We need to be able to see you clearly in your videos, and they should be taken in landscape rather than portrait mode. And while you should practice before you record, videos need to be done in one take- no editing or special effects are permitted. 

SLIDE NINE

An online bibliography has been posted to our website with sources for both sides of each proposition for both HS and MS. This should help you develop your speech. Judges will not critique you on research at this stage, but your arguments will be strengthened by using these sources and doing your own research. 

SLIDE TEN

A few tips from us as debaters- 

Make sure to clearly state your position at the beginning of your video.

Be clear, consistent in your argument, and concise. Signposting- neatly laying out your argument as a set number of reasons for or against the proposition- will help you.

Have fun with it! Debating is a way to learn more about topics and engage with each other in structured dialogue. We want you to enjoy it!

SLIDE ELEVEN

If you have any questions or would like help with your submission, please don’t hesitate to reach out to youthdebatebowl@gallaudet.edu at any time- but don’t wait until the last minute! Remember, submissions are due *look at slide* and we can’t wait to see them!